A ball-shaped lump has appeared, what could it be and how is it treated?

Reasons for appearance

There are many reasons for the appearance of a lump, most of them are not life-threatening, but still you should not put off visiting a doctor.

1. Cyst. This benign formation practically does not hurt, is small in size, about the size of a pea, and does not differ in rigidity when pressed from other parts of the body. While palpating, the ball rolls under the skin and even disappears, but then appears again. However, the cyst is dangerous because the lump often contains lymph, pus, or other fluid. The reason for the appearance of a cyst is an infection under the skin with further blockage of the sebaceous glands.
2. A lipoma is a soft lump under the skin on the neck. Its development occurs painlessly, and during palpation does not cause discomfort. Remove if the hard ball under the skin hurts when pressed or is very itchy. If there are no symptoms, the lump may not be cut out.
3. Folliculitis is another reason why a slight thickening appears on the skin. The disease appears when infection or dirt gets into the hair follicles, where the inflammatory process develops. In most cases, this disease affects people who are overweight, have diabetes, or have weak immune systems. In this case, there is no need to remove the formation. A course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs is sufficient for treatment.
4. A furuncle is a purulent inflammation of the hair follicle. The problem can be identified by severe itching and pain when pressing. This compaction appears when personal hygiene rules are violated, the immune system is weak, or hypothermia occurs. The development of the boil occurs within 2-4 days. These days, the lump gradually increases in size, acquires a red tint, is very painful and has a white core - pus.
5. Inflammation of the lymph nodes on the side of the neck on the left or right. It is characterized by mild pain when pressed in the area of ​​enlargement, as well as near the ear or under the lower jaw. Several lymph nodes can become inflamed at once, for example, in the armpits or groin. In addition, the person experiences a severe headache, weakness or chills, and there is also an increase in temperature to 37-38 degrees. This happens when a virus enters or during an inflammatory process of any organ. Enlarged lymph nodes on the neck on the right or left without pain are a dangerous signal. At this time, the body may develop lymphogranuloma or lymphocytic leukemia.
6. A malignant tumor is characterized by a hard structure that resembles a stone when pressed. During palpation, severe pain appears, the formation practically does not move to the side. With the development of a malignant process, the tumor does not go away on its own, but only increases in size. A painful lump often occurs when cancer cells appear in the lymph nodes or thyroid gland.

Making a diagnosis on your own and starting treatment is not the best idea. Otherwise, the signs may go away and the disease will be asymptomatic. This will make it difficult to make a correct diagnosis and prescribe effective therapy.

Symptoms

Clinical manifestations and severity of symptoms depend on the primary location and size of the tumor.

Most often, soft tissue sarcomas of the head and neck are asymptomatic.

May be observed:

• pain;
• paresthesia is a disturbance of sensitivity along the course of peripheral nerves, which can manifest itself as burning, numbness, tingling;
• nerve palsies;
• trismus – spasm of the masticatory muscles, which is characterized by limitation of movements in the temporomandibular joint;
• ulceration of the mucous membrane;
• dysphonia is a phenomenon characterized by impaired vocal function;
• dysphagia – difficulty swallowing.

When soft tissue sarcomas are located near the nose, nasal congestion may occur that does not go away over a long period.

How to recognize the disease

When a ball appears under the skin on the neck, a person may not feel any worsening of the condition at all. You should carefully monitor the well-being and behavior of the seal.

During the development of malignant tumors, a person sometimes does not experience pain in the area of ​​the lump. The lump often reaches large sizes and is visible to the naked eye even under clothing. Most often, cancer is accompanied by weakness, chills, loss of strength, itching, loss of appetite, sudden weight loss and a temperature of up to 38 degrees.

If the lump is a wen or atheroma, then it does not hurt and moves under the skin. The boil develops quickly and causes severe pain, as well as itching and redness of the tissue.

Types of neoplasms

Damage to the skin as a result of cell proliferation forms compactions of various types and sizes: from a pea to a walnut. Depending on the nature of the pathology of the formation, there are:

• benign;
• malignant;
• borderline (precancerous).

The formations cause physical and aesthetic discomfort to the child, but the main danger is their degeneration from a benign tumor to a malignant one. Only a doctor can determine the nature of the formation under the skin.

In this regard, we note that in addition to the otolaryngologist, solving problems of this kind may involve visiting other highly specialized specialists. Depending on the etiology and nature of the seals, treatment can be carried out by a dermatologist, surgeon, endocrinologist and oncologist. If necessary, the ENT doctor will refer the patient to the appropriate specialist.

Diagnosis and treatment of the disease

To accurately find out the diagnosis and begin treatment, you should first visit a surgeon. The doctor sends the patient for an ultrasound examination and, possibly, to an oncologist. However, this does not mean that a malignant tumor has been found in the body. A thorough examination by several doctors can help rule out certain diagnoses and prescribe effective therapy. Other necessary research procedures may also be prescribed: general blood test, x-ray, biochemistry and biopsy. In order not to blur the picture of the disease, it is not recommended to use medications before going to a specialist, and especially not to try to squeeze out or open the subcutaneous ball.

After undergoing the necessary diagnostic procedures, the patient is prescribed treatment. The following treatment regimen is possible:

• taking antibiotics, anti-inflammatory or antiviral drugs when an infectious disease is confirmed;
• a small incision or puncture to remove fluid from cysts and wen;
• surgical removal of a cancerous tumor, wen or cyst.

You can relieve inflammation using folk methods, for example, compresses with medicinal herbs, honey, lard or Vishnevsky ointment. It is strictly prohibited to use iodine or alcohol! They have a warming effect and increase the inflammatory process.

Sakania Luiza Ruslanovna

Dermatovenerologist, cosmetologist, trichologist

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If after treatment there is no relief within 2 weeks, you should definitely visit your doctor again. Also, while taking medications, you must give up alcoholic beverages and smoking.

Prevention of tumor-like formations of the neck

As preventive measures that can reduce the risk of neck cancer, doctors recommend:

• vaccination against HPV (human papillomavirus);
• limiting alcohol consumption;
• smoking cessation;
• playing sports;
• reducing sun exposure;
• maintaining hygiene of the oral cavity and nasopharynx;
• timely treatment of viral diseases, fungal infections that affect the oral and nasal cavity;
• eating seafood, iodized salt;
• following a diet rich in vitamins;
• observation by an endocrinologist and otorhinolaryngologist of patients at risk;
• conducting genetic tests for people who have a hereditary predisposition to diseases of this kind;
• avoiding contact with substances that have increased radioactivity;
• prevention of harmful effects of carcinogens, especially in the workplace;
• avoidance of stressful situations.

A ball under the skin on a child's neck

The appearance of a lump on the left or right side of a child’s neck will tell not only about the diseases described above, but also the so-called childhood diseases - mumps, mononucleosis and others. Children may also develop lipomas, atheromas, tumors and boils. To determine the exact cause, you need to visit a pediatrician or pediatric surgeon.

Most often, young patients are diagnosed with a wen, which is not dangerous to health. The cause of compaction is also the lymph nodes. Most often, such a ball does not reach more than 1 cm. Lymph nodes become inflamed during infectious diseases in the body, diseases and teething, otitis, measles, acute respiratory infections or inflammation of the tonsils. It is necessary to urgently visit a doctor if:

• the compaction became very hard and increased sharply;
• the lump hurts a lot and cannot be moved with your fingers when pressed;
• the area around the growth has changed color to bright red or blue, and is also covered in a rash;
• a core of pus appears on the ball, which begins to ooze over time;
• Several more lumps appeared both near the first bump and in other places.

If the child was previously diagnosed and prescribed treatment that does not bring results within 7 days, this is a reason to undergo the examination again. Perhaps there was an error in the analysis or the wrong medications were selected.

There is no need to be afraid of a lump, even if it has appeared and is rolling under the child’s skin. It is better to identify the pathology at an early stage and begin treatment. Therefore, if even a small nodule is detected, it is recommended to seek help from a surgeon. Reduced immunity, severe stress against the background of a suspicious ball and refusal of therapy will only worsen the condition.

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What if it's cancer?

Listed above are the most common reasons why a benign tumor or inflammatory process may appear on the neck. However, there is about a 20% chance that a cancer will form on the skin of the neck. This risk is greater in people who smoke, but even those who lead a healthy lifestyle are not immune from the appearance of a painless lump that will result in some type of cancer. Therefore, it is very important to contact the clinic in time for an accurate diagnosis - treatment of cancer at an early stage is always successful.