A Lump in the Neck
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Thyroid swelling
Swollen around the neck
Enlarged thyroid
A bump on the neck
Swollen thyroid
There is a hump in the neck
My thyroid has been swollen
Thyroid gland protruding
I have a bump on my neck
Easily visible thyroid
Lump in the thyroid gland
About the Symptom
An infection, an injury, tumors, or a recent medical procedure could all cause neck swelling.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Swelling around the neck
Possible Causes
Generally, A lump in the neck can be related to:
- Suppurative Lymphadenitis
Lymphadenitis suppurativa is the inflammation and suppuration (pus formation) of lymph nodes in the body.
- Necrotizing Lymphadenitis (Kikuchi Disease)
This rare disease usually affects young people and is characterized by swollen neck lymph nodes and fever. The exact cause remains unknown, but it may be due to infection or the body's immune system reacting.
- Acute Tonsillitis / Pharyngitis
Infection of the tonsils and pharynx (back of the mouth), either by viruses or bacteria.
- Roseola
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, A lump in the neck may be related to these serious diseases:
- Cervical Lymphadenitis
This refers to the swelling of the neck's lymph nodes caused by inflammation. It's often due to a viral or bacterial infection and is common among children.
- Mumps
- Rubella
- Kawasaki Disease
- Infectious Mononucleosis
- Idiopathic Esophageal Rupture
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Is your neck swollen?
- Is your neck swelling easily visible to others?
- How has your neck swelling changed since it started?
- How long have you had neck swelling?
Reviewed By:
Maxwell J. Nanes, DO (Emergency Medicine)
Dr Nanes received a doctorate from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete a residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There he trained at Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in the practice of adult and pediatric emergency medicine. He was a chief resident and received numerous awards for teaching excellence during his time there. | | After residency he took a job at a community hospital where he and his colleagues worked through the toughest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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- Neck swelling easily visible to others
Find Similar Symptoms
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FAQs
Q.
Is it the Black Death? Why your lymph nodes are swelling and the medical steps to take.
A.
Most swollen lymph nodes come from routine infections and improve within 1 to 3 weeks; bubonic plague is extremely rare and unlikely unless you had exposure to fleas or wild rodents in an affected area plus sudden high fever and very painful, rapidly enlarging nodes. There are several factors to consider. See below for key red flags like persistent or hard, fixed nodes and systemic symptoms, when to seek urgent care, and what doctors do to diagnose and treat the cause so you can choose the right next steps.
References:
* Lynch, T., & Lynch, M. (2021). Lymphadenopathy: Differential Diagnosis and Approach. Medical Clinics of North America, 105(2), 185–199. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2020.11.006
* Eisen, R. J., & Gage, K. L. (2018). Plague: a review of the current evidence for diagnosis and treatment. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1410(1), 16–29. doi:10.1111/nyas.13560
* Gan, L. H., & O'Toole, L. (2021). Evaluation of peripheral lymphadenopathy. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 373, n535. doi:10.1136/bmj.n535
* Ferrer, R. (2017). Generalized Lymphadenopathy: A Diagnostic Approach in Primary Care. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 30(4), 469–478. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2017.04.160352
* Yoshida, M., et al. (2020). Diagnostic imaging for lymphadenopathy. International Journal of Hematology, 112(1), 21–34. doi:10.1007/s12185-020-02875-z
Q.
Is it a Cyst or Sarcoma? Why Lumps Change and Your Medical Next Steps
A.
There are several factors to consider: most lumps are benign cysts or lipomas, but warning signs for sarcoma include a firm or hard mass that is deep, fixed, steadily enlarging, or larger than 5 cm. If a lump is changing, persistent, or concerning, see a doctor promptly for an exam, imaging, and possibly biopsy since early evaluation improves outcomes; key details and step by step next actions that could affect your care are explained below.
References:
* Choi M, Varghese P, Reith JD, Scarborough MT. Evaluation of Soft Tissue Masses: An Updated Review. *Clinical Reviews in Bone and Mineral Metabolism*. 2020 Dec;18(4):175-188. PMID: 32679261.
* Peckham M, Mahendra A, Tapp E, Bajwa D, Acar L, Taniere P, Pillay N, James S. The diagnostic challenge of soft tissue masses. *Frontiers in Surgery*. 2018 Mar 16;5:17. PMID: 29596816.
* Beane JD, Shah UJ, Yang J, Zervos EE, Mauldin PD, Delman KA, O'Connor M, Sweeney JF, Johnson MA, Varghese TK, Havins G, Miller S, Warneke J, Nelson DW. Management of soft tissue masses: a review for the general surgeon. *The American Surgeon*. 2017 Aug 1;83(8):846-851. PMID: 28980836.
* Schöffski P, Wozniak A, Le Péchoux C, Pote N. Diagnostic Approach to Soft Tissue Sarcoma. *Cancers (Basel)*. 2021 Jun 4;13(11):2775. PMID: 34108502.
* Wang L, Xu C, Han H, Wu H, Xu L. Imaging of Soft-Tissue Masses: An Update. *Radiologic Clinics of North America*. 2020 Sep;58(5):985-998. PMID: 32626605.
Q.
Is It the Black Plague? Why Your Glands Swell & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Swollen glands are usually from common infections, not the black plague, which is rare, treatable with antibiotics, and typically causes sudden high fever, severe illness, and a very painful, fast-enlarging node after rodent or flea exposure. There are several factors to consider, including red flags like nodes larger than 1 to 2 cm, rapid growth, swelling that lasts beyond 2 to 4 weeks, high fever, night sweats, weight loss, or trouble swallowing, which guide when to seek urgent care versus home care like rest, fluids, warm compresses, and over the counter pain relief. See the complete guidance below for important details that could change your next steps.
References:
* Mahan MJ, Park YS, DeMarco M, et al. Lymphadenopathy: Differential Diagnosis and Evaluation. Am Fam Physician. 2023 Feb;107(2):161-169.
* Saad H, Khabbaz M, Abdo E, et al. Yersinia pestis (Plague): An Update for the Clinician. Microbiol Spectr. 2021 Apr 28;9(2):e0004521. doi: 10.1128/Spectrum.00045-21. Epub 2021 Mar 31. PMID: 33787265.
* Bielsa S, Pimentel-Torres P. Diagnostic approach to generalized lymphadenopathy. Rev Clin Esp (Barc). 2022 Mar;222(3):179-188. doi: 10.1016/j.rceng.2021.11.002. Epub 2022 Jan 10. PMID: 35027244.
* Cunha BA, Opal SM, Cunha CB, et al. Acute Lymphadenitis. Med Clin North Am. 2020 Jan;104(1):63-70. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2019.08.006. Epub 2019 Oct 29. PMID: 31733795.
* Kaur R, Sharma S, Bhutani N. Lymphadenopathy: A Review of its Etiology, Diagnosis and Management. J Clin Diagn Res. 2018 Jan;12(1):OE01-OE06. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2018/31206.11051. Epub 2018 Jan 1. PMID: 29519656; PMCID: PMC5824409.
Q.
Swollen Lymph Nodes in Neck? Why They Swell & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck are usually a normal immune response to infections like colds, strep, sinus, or dental issues and typically improve within 1 to 2 weeks, with full shrinking over 3 to 4 weeks. Use rest, fluids, pain relievers, and warm compresses if otherwise well, but seek medical care if nodes keep growing or last beyond 3 to 4 weeks, feel hard or fixed, are painless, or come with fever, night sweats, weight loss, severe redness or pain, or trouble swallowing or breathing; there are several factors to consider, so see below for complete guidance on red flags, testing, and treatment options.
References:
* O'Connell BP, O'Connell DA, Young M. Evaluation of Cervical Lymphadenopathy. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2021 Jun 22;6(4):728-735. doi: 10.1002/lio2.597. eCollection 2021 Aug. PMID: 34336940; PMCID: PMC8302391.
* Tan HM, Sun Y, Wu QL. Cervical lymphadenopathy in adults: aetiology, diagnosis and treatment. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2017 Mar;274(3):1241-1249. doi: 10.1007/s00405-016-4197-y. Epub 2016 Aug 12. PMID: 27515328.
* Ma DJF, Lam CL, Yau THC. Evaluation of adult cervical lymphadenopathy. Hong Kong Med J. 2014 Dec;20(6):525-32. doi: 10.12809/hkmj144275. PMID: 25477382.
* Mohseni A, Sarrafzadeh S. Lymphadenopathy: A Practical Approach. J Curr Med Res Opin. 2019;2(1):15-20. PMCID: PMC6687981.
* Cincione V, Spitaleri C, Cincione C, Spitaleri D, Bignami S. Guidelines for the management of adult cervical lymphadenopathy. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2013 Dec;17(24):3384-9. PMID: 24379304.
Q.
Why Is This Lump Here? Why Your Lymph Nodes Are Swelling & Medically-Approved Next Steps
A.
Swollen lymph nodes are most often from infections and improve in 2 to 3 weeks; soft, tender, movable lumps in the neck, armpit, or groin are usually harmless and can be managed with rest, fluids, warm compresses, and over-the-counter pain relievers. There are several factors to consider; see below to understand more. Seek prompt care for hard or fixed nodes, steady growth or lasting longer than 4 weeks, rapid enlargement, high fever, night sweats, weight loss, or trouble breathing or swallowing, and find the full, medically approved next steps below.
References:
* Sunkara T, Chhabra A, Nagabhairu N, et al. Lymphadenopathy: Differential Diagnosis and Evaluation. Am Fam Physician. 2023 Feb;107(2):166-175. PMID: 36791221.
* Jaffe ES. Reactive Lymphadenopathies: What the Pathologist Needs to Know. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2019 Jun;143(6):688-699. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2018-0524-RA. PMID: 30973656.
* Habermann TM. Evaluation of Lymphadenopathy in Adults. JAMA. 2018 Jun 5;319(21):2217-2218. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.6657. PMID: 29872851.
* Mohseni S, Desai B, Underwood R, et al. Diagnostic approach to lymphadenopathy. Ann Transl Med. 2018 Aug;6(15):307. doi: 10.21037/atm.2018.06.15. PMID: 30175116.
* Glazer M, Glazer J. Lymphadenopathy: Diagnostic strategy. Eur J Clin Invest. 2018 Sep;48(9):e12984. doi: 10.1111/eci.12984. PMID: 30009405.
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