Laura San Giacomo - The Christ Hospital

Somethingunderyour skinThe truth behindbothersome lumpsand bumpsMost women know that any unusualmass found in a breast warrants a tripto their physician, but what aboutthose odd lumps and bumps thatoccur elsewhere? Although the discovery of a newgrowth may have you thinking of cancer, that’s notthe most likely diagnosis. Here’s what you shouldknow about those mysterious lumps.On the back of your headA small, freely moving lump under your scalpis probably a sebaceous cyst. These slow-growingand usually painless cysts arise from swollen hairfollicles and may also appear on the face, neck ortrunk. They’re not dangerous and can usually beignored. If a cyst becomes large or bothersome,your physician may treat it with steroid injectionsor surgically remove it.A swollen lymph node may be the culprit ifyou find a lump along the side of your neck, underyour jaw or chin, behind your ear or on the back ofyour head. Lymph nodes can swell when you havean infection like strep throat or an abscessed tooth.Sometimes the lymph node itself becomes infectedand will become swollen, red, warm and tender. Ifyou don’t have any infection or the swelling doesn’tgo away when the other infection does, see yourphysician.In your neckMost thyroid nodules—solid or fluid-filledgrowths in the thyroid gland (located at the baseof your neck)—are benign. However, some maydisrupt your thyroid hormone levels, place pressureon your windpipe or make swallowing uncomfortable.About 5 percent of nodules are cancerous.Most nodules are found during a routine exam oran imaging test. Your physician may conduct teststo decide whether treatment is needed.On the skinBasal cell carcinoma—the most common formof skin cancer—may appear as a shiny, translucentor pearly nodule or a pink, slightly elevated growthon the skin. Although this cancer rarely spreads,see your physician for prompt treatment.A painful, red, half-inch lump that appearssuddenly may be a boil, caused when bacteria infecta hair follicle in an area where you sweat or havefriction. A boil will fill with pus and grow largerand more painful until it ruptures and drains. Mostwill resolve themselves (never squeeze), but seeyour physician if one is extremely painful or youhave a fever. WHT© 2009 Jupiterimages20Women’s Health Today