Dr. Greene’s advice on discovering a lump…
Finding a lump on your child’s body is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact most of the time little lumps it’s a good thing: healthy lymph nodes swell when they are attacking foreign invaders.
The question is how to tell if the lump is well-behaving lymph node or something more serious.
With just a couple of quick checks, you can either quickly rule out anything serious, or know that you and you child should follow-up with a doctor.
Watch the video below tell you how to determine which you’re dealing with.
More information on lumps and lymph nodes:
If there is anything you’d like to know about lumps or lymph nodes that I didn’t address in the video, drop me a comment and I’ll try and shed some light on your question.
Renren
Hi Dr. Greene,
I would like to ask about my 20mos old little boy about his penis because I notice a small lump over his penis, the lump located between from the top to the end of his penis.
Do I need to worry? Pls help and give some doctors advice thank u.
All the best..
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You
Ive felt a lump under my rib cage in my back been the same size for past 3 years worried
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Amanda
Hey Dr drgreene I’m Amanda and I’m 16 yrs old I found a bump/lump almost nxt to my ear i really wanna know what it is cause I’m scared😔😔☹☹and I wanna make sure I’m ok.
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lora
I have had a lump on my neck for two years. It has not gone away. I have not thought about it because its painless. Now Ive been feeling like crap for over a month, stomach hurts a lot, joints hurting, very, very tired. Ive stopped exercising because either I’m tired, hurting or both.
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Ramsi
Hi doctor , i have a lump on right of my neck not visible but pains when I touch.i am 16 a teen girl
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Tracey Joubert
Hi Doctor my name is Tracey from South Africa I’m stressing about a pea sized lump I found in the left hand side of my 3 years olds lower stomach where a woman’s ovary would be sometimes I feel them and then I don’t sometimes there’s only one lump other times more I can feel them move around a little when I push on them when I Google I see cancer pls could u give me some advice.. Thank you
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Gracyl
Hi doctor, I noticed a hard lump in my child’s chin in the middle it is not painful is it something that I need to worry??
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Somi
I have a 7 months old baby, i discovered yesterday that he has a small lump behind the ear., but it seems as if is not painful.
I’d like to know the reason doctor if you can help me.
It worries me
Than you
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Temidayo
Pls what can i do and what drugs can i buy for me and my baby that have hard something in her left breast inside her nipple please am beging
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Temidayo
I as her mom i have something hard on my two breast but is not paining me , but wen i breast feed my baby it well soft and i wouldnt really feel it again but wen my breast is full of breast milk i will feel it again
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Temidayo
My 5 months old have something hard on the left breast on d nipple and am so worried but it not paining her at all
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Serena
My 11 yr old daughter said something about on lump on her neck. It is on the side of her neck way below her ear. It is the size of a large marble. She says it doesn’t hurt and she hasn’t been sick at all. She has been sleeping alot. I am very concerned as my sister was discovered with a knot in the side of her neck at the age of 28 and it was Hodgkins
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Cammeo Bernier
Hi. I just noticed about a penny size lump on his arm right below his shoulder. Is this cause for concern?
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Cindy Garcia
Hello, My 3 year old son has a lump under his chin in his throat (like a mans Adam’s apple) but he says it does not hurt and he does not complain of having pain. Is this something I should be concerned about?
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Sophia Butler
My baby has a bump on the right side of is head an is getting bigger what is.Is something worry about
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Lungile Manxiwa
helo Dr. My 3 year old has several non painful lumps about 8 at the back of his head, must I worry? how will they go away because if they don”t go away they might affect his appearance.
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Cheryl Greene
Lungile,
Thanks for writing in.
Have you seen Dr. Greene’s Q&A on swollen lymph nodes? If not, check that one out.
Best, @MsGreene
Note: I am the co-founder of DrGreene.com, but I am not Dr. Greene and I am not a doctor. Please keep that in mind when reading my comments and replies.
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Victoria
Dear, Dr.greene I’m 12 years old and frightened I fell asleep and woke up with a lump on my back/neck and I’m really scared
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Alexandra Carmichael
Hi Victoria,
Thanks so much for writing in! If the lump is still there and you’re feeling scared, it’s probably wise to first take some deep breaths and calm your body down, then tell an adult and/or go see your doctor. They can help.
Hope that helps, hang in there!
Alexandra (caring helper at drgreene.com, not a doctor)
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Amy Blake
Doctor I discovered a painless lump in my 10 year old’s right armpit. We had X-rays and CBC blood work. All was considered normal. Although the radiologist did say on the report that there was a soft tissue lump seen. It has been there for at least 3 weeks. It doesn’t move, doesn’t hurt and has gotten slightly bigger. Should I be worried?
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Emma mccrory
Hi I’ve just got my son back to sleep after a couple of hours pain out of nowhere I feel a lump it seems to move unless it’s because my child is agitated an moving I rub I console but I’m really scared this as been since he was a young boy around 12months but I put it down to growing pains or gristle I think it’s called why is it hurting ? Should I be scared he is now four years old .
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Ann
My 14 year old daughter has a small painful lump on the back of her neck to the right of her spine. It came on suddenly. It hurts to touch. Should I keep an eye on it to see if it gets bigger. I don’t want her to be in pain. I thought maybe a warm moist compress in case it could be a pimple.
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William
Hey am 17 and i recently had a sore throat this week and I notice this lump the Same week. Should I be worry about it. Please reply back as soon as possible
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Zena Hassani
Hi, I have a small lump under 1cm, on the right handside of my neck, under my ear and my throat hurts when I swallow, is this a bad thing?
I haven’t visited a doctor as it has happened a couple of days ago(3/4)
Please,please help,
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Calvin Nash
Bump head that left a lump
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Jodie
Hi Doctor Greene, My son is 15 years old and tonight he showed me 3 lumps on his neck below his ear, that were not there before. I have never noticed anyting like this before during his growing years. Should i be worried, have made an appointment to see his doctor.
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Deagan
I have this small movable lump in my breast not very sore to the touch but can be iritating,I don’t k ow if it was just me but I felt as if it had grown a tiny bit.If I move it to much it has a tingle on my nipple,I am only 14 years old I just want to know if it’s nothing to worry about as I have my full thought on cancer bug my parents say it’s probably not and booked me in for a doctors apointment.I juast need someone to explain this to me please
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Cheryl Greene
Degan,
Dr. Greene outlines when to worry about breast lumps in boys. Here they are:
From your description, it doesn’t sound like any of these apply to you. I think it’s great your parents are taking you to see your doctor, in order to ease your mind. In the meantime, you can relax.
@MsGreene
Co-founder & Executive Producer DrGreene.com, Mom
Note: Not Dr. Greene, not a doctor. Keep that in mind when reading my comments and replies.
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Cortney
I started off having lower back pains on the left side it has now turned into a small squishy ball and seems like he kind of wants to roll around is really sore to touch what can I do or what could it be
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Cheryl Greene
Cortney,
I’m not a doctor, so I can’t tell you for sure (and probably a doctor couldn’t without examining you), but it sounds like a cyst I once had. It was surgically removed in an easy outpatient procedure with no side effects and no recurrence.
Bottom line, time to see your doc.
Best,
@MsGreene
Co-founder & Executive Producer DrGreene.com, Mom
Note: Not Dr. Greene, not a doctor. Keep that in mind when reading my comments and replies.
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Michelle
My 4 yr old has a couple of lumps probably just under 1cm diameter on his penis just under the skin….they seem soft and move around a bit..Doesn’t seem to be hurting him or causing any thing unusual .
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Rosa Villalobos
Hey Doc my son is 6 months today. Last week I noticed he have’s like four lumps each side of the head and neck in different sizes what could it be. I have an appointment with the Doc in about 2 weeks should I take him sooner ??
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Jes
That’s normal, all my children have had their lymph nodes like that and you can call your Dr office but I bdoubt they will have u come in.
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Tonia Ridley
Hello Doctor my son is 17 he has a bump on his back near his neck little fine bumps are on them he says the lump doesn’t hurt him he does play football….
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Michael,
Hey doctor.. Im 19 and recently i found a bump on my head.. Its in the middle its kinda bonny.
Should I get a visit about it?
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Lily Kvitky
My 4 month old grandson has had a hard lump about inch in diameter for over a month. The pediatrician says it’s a lymph node, but I am concerned because the lump is hard, doesn’t move and is not getting smaller. He is not sick and had no cuts. My daughter is taking him to a specialists next week. What tests will they do and if it is more serious how will they treat in?
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devonia karelse
hi doctor im devonia i have a son age 3 he has has lumps in hes kneck and on hes private part for a year now.Im so worried as a parenr he has seen a doctor already he went for test an all an nothing was rong but it still aint dissapearing can u give me any advise cause it becoming a problem to me now
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Robert Padilla
Hi I’m 13 years old and I have a soft tiny bump in the middle of my back head and I’m really worried idk Wat to do please answer.
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Grace Evans
Hi I’m 13 and have a very soft moveable lump under my arm well it looks like a lump but doesn’t feel like it it sticks out and is sometimes painful it isn’t hard and it isnt non- moveable ! It’s very soft and moveable and sometimes becomes inflamed and itches !! I haven’t had any breast cancer symptoms and it isn’t getting any bigger and has gone down a bit I’ve had it for about 1 month and a half now I just wanted to ask you if it could be dangerous and if it can just be left alone !
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Cheryl Greene
Grace,
If you’ve had a lump for longer than a few weeks, it’s worth a call to your doctor to discuss this with the advice nurse. He or she will know if your doctor would like to take or look just to be on the safe side.
Best,
@MsGreene
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Mustapha
Hi DR Green my daughter is 5yr old my wife found 2 lumps in her neck 1 round circle about 1cm diamiter the other lower very tiny both on her left side.she had a rash like flu a couple of weeks ago.As parents we are scared Sind her older sister 11 just went threw the same thing she had a lump under her armpit & a couple tiny 1s in her neck it tuned out to be Hodkins Lymphoma she was in stage 2 she went through chemo & know she’s been in remission for 2 months.so you see our worry Dr.Please write me back I’m at a loss.
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Cheryl Greene
Mustapha,
When you have a child with a cancer diagnosis, it’s only natural to worry that a lump may be cancer. That doesn’t mean that it’s a problem, but your worry is understandable. If for no other reason than to ease your mind, it would be wise to have a doctor examine your 5 year old.
I hope that’s helpful,
@MsGreene
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Megan Purdy
My daughter has a hard pea sized “knot” even with her ear canal at the base of her skull. It is stationary and very hard. She’s shown none of the other symptoms you described in the video and acts fine. Should I be concerned?
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Jan Ross
Hi Dr. Greene….I really appreciate your video it was really helpful. I am a very concerned parent/grandparent, as last night a discover three lumps on my 12 year old granddaughter. One is walnut size located on the top of her neck, spin area and is hard and walnut in size, the other is behind her ear, also hard, not as big and then further down her neck, a pea size lump which seems to have some movement. The other two are solid in place. I have managed to get her into her doctor today; however, I am very concerned. Jan Ross
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Linda Smith
Hi Dr Greene…My 20 month old granddaughter is on of identical twins that were born prematurely at 37 weeks and she is the smaller of the two..She recently had roseola in which she had a high fever resulting in a convoltion..We took her to the hospital and she was released that night..That was 5 days ago..She now has 2 lumps in the back of her neck which are soft & movable and they don’t seem to be sore..Is this a concern?
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Mrs Washington
H, I have a 4 month old baby girl & about a month or so ago we noticed a lump under her chin, it also looks bruised! It has gotten smaller & I thought it had gone away! Then there it was again, about the size of a nickle..it makes her look like she has a double chin! It doesn’t seem to bother her at all, she is a happy & active baby! She was born 6 weeks early & spent 12 days in the NICU because of low blood sugars,low weight & jaundice.. Anyhow, the lump is starting to worry me! Want to know if you have any ideas as to what it could be?!?! Thanks for your time (:
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brianna
Hi I’m 16 and i found a lump on my armpit and it’s not hard but it do hurt me im just worried about it.
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Emma Quinn
wht happens if the lumb is hard but small plz let me know as i am worried something is wrong with my head
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David Brown
My daughter has a lump the size of a three golf balls under her right side we went to see speciallist says its a hemangioma, plus it could be cystic
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David Brown
She’s only 3 years old three and a half years old
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Maria
Hi my son has a lump on the back of his neck. It’s about half a penny big but he says it hurts when j touch it. It is not rock hard.
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Diane
Dr Greene, my 9 year old granddaughter has a hard lump on the left side of her neck. I took her to her pediatrician who ran tests and then gave her antibiotics to take for 10 days. The lump is still there and kind of hard but cause no pain to her. The pediatrician said she has to run more tests after the 10 days. Is this bump normal for a child?
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thomas
My 1 year 5 months old son has a lump on his neck.
It is not painful and mobile.
His development is normal
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Irene layogie
My son is turning 8 years old this coming july 27.he has a neck lumps on the right side of his neck.when i touch his lumps i asked him if its painful,he said no pain.i discover this lumps when he was almost 4 years.until now the size is not increasing. What is this doc? What should i do?
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fiona
my 8 year old son has had a swollen gland on he’s neck for 2 months last week i found a bump on he’s lower part of he’s head . I took him to our doctors & he found another 2 swollen lymph nodes on he’s neck he said they felt like soft peas. We have to take him back in a month & if they are still there we will be referred to ent specialist.My son hasn’t been ill & is full of energy but i am worried sick . please reply
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Allison
My son now 5 had about 6 swollen nodes on each side of neck when he eas 3 this went on for months our dr said maybe a bug bite ….yeah right! Anyway i decided to take to ent he had his tonsils and adnoids out a few weeks later and those swollen nodes went down completely hes very skinny so i think it looked worse than it was but i was terrified! The drs all told me the place to worry for any swollen lymph nodes is the collar bone. He is a very active happy 5 year old now. I didnt even know he needed his tonsils out but he did one was a lot bigger than the other too so that worried me. All is good.
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Chris Alejandre
I’m scared I might have something because I found a lump behind my neck
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Gina
My 4 year old son has a marble sized lump at the back of his throat. He has had for at least a month now and everytime we see a doctor we are told it a viral infection. It seems to have got slightly bigger since the last time we saw a doctor and I’m worried about his airway. Please can you give me some advice on how to handle this now as I don’t seem to get anywhere with our gp.
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Sarah abbott
My daughter had a lump come up on her neck she 2 years old she not bin ill but does have problems but 10days later we went back to the doctor and there was 10 limps he don’t no what thay are but is going for Mri soon I’m so worried tho
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Tara Fabrizi
My daughters lump is on the side closer to her ear.
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Mimi
Hi, I am 16 I have a lump on my neck and behind my ears. Can you tell me, is that ok?
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Maria
My 16 year old son has a hard lump on the back of his head just above the base of his neck any ideas
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Lesa
My 14!year old son also have a hard bump/lump in the same place , maybe a bit higher above the hair line. My son said it feels sore when touched or when he wears a baseball cap. He did not fall or bump his head in any way –
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Karen
My 6 year old has the same thing. I just found it tonight. I’m worried.
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Tabatha whaley
My 14 year old son has the same thing. He has always had it. We he was 2 I took him to be checked out and the doctor said it was nothing. It’s still there. He says it hurts every now and then.
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Olivia
Yes my he does also
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Olivia
So do I. Have you found out anything?
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Mary F Carroll
My Goddaughter has marbal size bump on her spine what can this be and should she see the doctor it was not there yesterday but today it is she is 1 yr old
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khatija
Hi my baby is 9mnths and she’s gt lump on under her right jaw pls advice how to treat thanx.
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Jana
Last night I noticed a significant lump on the back of my 6 yo daughter’s neck. It is one finger’s width to the right of her C5 or C6 (that’s a guess) and I did not notice it prior to last night. I do not know if this is a lymph node or not. It is bigger than a pea, I believe. And there is no lump to the left of the spine. When she looks down I can see the lump with the lights off. She is not ill in any way, shape, or form and I’ve asked her about 5 times if it hurt when I pressed on it and she said no every time. Trying not to go straight to cancer in my mind and am looking for a little reassurance here!
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Cat
Jana- I was wondering the outcome when you took your daughter to the doctor.? I’m having the same exact issue with my 12year old daughter and I’m kinda freaking out
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Leah
I just noticed 3 little lumps in my 3 year old daughter’s head. It’s in the middle closer to the top of her head. They’re not painful to touch. Two days before I noticed her scalp was dry and one bump pussed so I loosed her braids and washed it with the Sulpur 8 kids anti dandruff shampoo. The dryness is going but now the lumps
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vanessa rogers
Hello I have a four and half month old daughter and I have just noticed a lump on the top of her head in the back and it’s hard and the size of a pea and I’m worried sick from it and she doesn’t have a doctors appt til the 28 of march and no openings for sooner. I’ve searched and searched and I’m only finding things about lumps in the back of the head or behind ears and nothing about lumps on the top of the head in the back and I’m starting to be more worried cuz there is no info similar to mine. Can you please tell me something please? I understand I should see my pediatrician and am going to asap but can you tell me what you think please thank you so much
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Shivangi
Hello Dr.. My son is 7 n a half year old… Wen he was 2 yrs he got a greenish lump on his upper right arm… It was alarming n I contacted Dr but he said its nothing to worry… Thn when he was 4 yrs he got one more lump on left arm near elbow… Now it’s grown to pea size n is greenish… But it’s not painful…, please guide me wht it can be n wht shud I do… Thanx
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Joycee Bastain
Treating the Lump Behind Ear
Lipomas cannot be treated and will simply go away on their own, but all of the other causes of ear lumps have different remedies available. Some are even possible to do at home.
Mastoiditis: The cause of the lump is an underlying ear infection. Create a strained mixture of olive oil and garlic oil and place one to two drops into the infected ear.
Lymphadenopathy: The swollen node is in your neck. Gargling turmeric or salt water can help alleviate the symptoms.
Cyst and abscess: Do not “pop” a cyst or abscess. Instead, a warm compress can help drain the fluid and offer some relief from any discomfort or pain. A cyst can sometimes be treated using tea tree oil as well. Soak a cotton swab in tea tree oil and hold it to the cyst for about five minutes, then wash with an oil-free soap. This will help dry up the fluid inside the cyst and help relieve any swelling.
Home remedies: Home remedies are best used for only short periods. If your symptoms persist, especially without any relief, the matter is best brought to a doctor’s attention.
Added:
leah calame
Taking my son to the toilet I found say (3/4 pea) size lump on his family jewel; male parts. It doesn’t seem to be sore for him or anything. Just wondered if it could be a boil or something.
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frank
Hello dr.I found a lump under my 3yrs old daughter. pls what do I do becos am worried. she saysvi doesn’t hurt.under her left nipple
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Kristine
Hi Doctor Greene, I had found a soft movable lump about the size of a marvel behind my knee kinda near the crease and a tendon it’s so movable that it’s hard to find at times anyway I went to the doctor he thought it was a lymphnode but had me go and have an ultrasound just to be safe but they saw nothing so my question is would the ultrasound have picked something up if it was really there ?
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Amanda
hello my 6 year old son has a knot on his left side of neck… its been there since dec29th i took him to doctors they said swollen lymph glands so gave him amoxcillion well here it 11 days later and still there he is done with the 10 day medicine… also when his doctor checked it on the 29th it was 1cm we went back for check up on the 4th of january and it now is 3.2 cm but they dont seem worry!!! what do you think i should do.. i cant seem to get answers thank you in advance!
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Ruby Tash
My granddaughter has a large lump on the side of her neck and Drs said they think its cat scratch fever and put her on antibiotics. The lump is bigger and now also very red. They did an ultrasound and bloodwork but arent giving us a definate answer. We dont know what to do. Shes only 14 months old.
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Noelle
Hello! I have a bump that is located just in front of my ear that is very painful to touch. It is very firm and it seems almost connected my jaw bone in from of my ear. I have read about lymph nodes and other such things, but nothing seems to jump out at me; nothing matches up exactly with what I have. Should I see my doctor? Do you think I should be concerned about this?
Thanks!
Noelle D.
Added:
Cheryl Greene
Hi Noelle,
Sounds like it’s worth having checked. I’m NOT a doctor, but I had something that sounds very much like what you describe. It turned out to be a cyst that was infected and needed to be removed. It was a very, very simple procedure.
Hope that helps.
@MsGreene
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Shonda
My 17 year old son just found 2 lumps on the back of his head. One is lower at the neck and lower head and the other is directly above it on the back of his head. Then he found another one at the soft spot in front of his ear. His face is severly broke out in acne at the moment, we think it is from his chosen sport of wrestling. He normally does not have bad skin. Do we need to see a physician, we do not have insurance?
Added:
Shonda
I forgot to tell you that they are very tender to the touch, he said he noticed them about 4 days ago?
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Cheryl Greene
Wrestlers are well known for “sharing” skin infections. Different infections are treated differently, so you really don’t know what treatment is best until the actual infection has been diagnosed. Sorry!
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kristina
My daughter is 18 months old. About 6 weeks ago, i noticed a lump about the size of a lima bean in her neck, Right under her ear. Took her to e.r. They said no big deal, and gave her amoxicillin. 5 days into antibiotic, it was about 1.5 times the size, i could tell it caused sensitivity. . Took her back. They gave her antibiotic shot, and acted as though i was being irrational for bringing her back in. Now 6 weeks, two sets of médicine, it is still very apparent. You can see that one side of her cheek/ ear area is swollen. Or is soft, but warm to touch and hasnt gone down in size. I dont know what could be wrong?
Added:
Ahmed elshahawy
Dr.Green
I found a soft lump in my 4 years old son’s back (middle left side of his back) please advise as im too worried.
Many thanks
Added:
rasmus
Can a tiny foxed lump say .4mm × 2mm be maligant
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rasmus
Are all fixed lumps cancereous or there are bening cause also
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Lora
Hi Dr Greene,
My 2 yr old Grand-son is a former micro-preemie, born at 25 weeks and weighing 1lb 11 oz. He has a small, marble sized, rubbery but doesnt move much, lump on his neck. It is lower than the ear, but more behind. We noticed the lump after he was discharged from a 7 mo stay in the NICU. It was only visible when he turned his head, but now it can be seen with no problem. The Pediatrician continues to say it is a lymph node. He has BPD, but has only been sick a couple times. Can he be fighting off infections continuously? Thank you.
Added:
arab bohara
iam boy aged18 years old.
i have one lump in my penis for a years. it located just under the top. it isn’t itchy,paining,raddish in colour but it sized as pea. i didn’t treat it because i have read some health articles.
and found it won’t harm. its harmless.
that is why i didnt go anywhere yo treat it.
but nowdays i heard that it might cause penile cancer in lots of health websites.
actually iam worried about it. should it harm or nope?
should i treat or not?
if i will let it till the death..
will it effect harmones by lacking?
Added:
Natalie
Hi Dr Greene
We are worried about a lump on my sons penis, is this a normal place to find lumps?
He is 4 and has been prone to infection because his foreskin is so tight but we have just discovered this lump at the bottom of his penis (nearest his tummy) it is soft and moves a bit but isn’t painful
Do you think this is anything to be concerned about?
He is being referred to the hospital but we are so worried as we have no answers and its taking so long to get an appointment
Added:
Regina
Hi Natalie,
Did you ever find out what happened? My son is 4 and I just found one in the same spot as you described your sons lump. It is soft and moves, also it is not painful. I hope your son is fine.
Added:
Aderra
My son is 18 months old and uncircumcised. He woke from a nap with a swollen and painful penis. A few hours later the swelling had gone down a bit but now a lump is prevalent under the skin about halfway down the shaft on leftish underside of his penis. He doesn’t want me to touch it because it seems to cause a good deal of pain when touched but it seems softer and there doesn’t seem to be any discharge. I am trying to get him a dr appointment but any feedback would be helpful.
Added:
Dawn Winkelmann
OMG this video was so informative! I constantly have swollen lymph nodes and my doctor always talks about surgery, but then it goes away. I am so thankful to know it’s just my body working against infections. Since I work with kids 12 hours a day, I fight infections a lot!
Thanks Dr. Greene!
Dawn Winkelmann, M.S,CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist/Feeding Specialist
Added:
Alan Greene
Thank _you_ Dawn. And for your important work!
Added:
Lisa Anne Davies
My daughter is 2 years and has a lump in her artery in her neck. (I say artery, it is the main blood vessel on her right). It is raised and very noticeable when she shouts or screams. My husband has noticed it also are we are concerned but feel a little silly taking her to the doctor. She had colic as a baby due to lactose interlerance and spent 15 hours a day screaming and I’m not sure whether it has been caused by that. It was fairly noticeable since she was about 3 months old.
Added:
Alan Greene
Lisa Anne, most – but not all – neck lumps turn out to be fine. Here’s my guide on when to be concerned and take a child to a doctor. When you’re concerned, it’s never silly to ask your doctor! In fact, it’s the responsible thing to do.
Added:
Emily Hamblin
Hi Dr Green
My son has just had his 2nd Birthday this week. He has a lump on his penis – about half way down the shaft and under the skin (it doesn’t move when you move the skin over it). It is quite well deliniated but is soft rather than hard. It has been growing for about 6 months. I have now taken him to 2 doctors. Both have said that it is not something to worry about. the first said it was a sebacious cyst, the second said smegma. (not sure if these are the same). The second said that he needs to have a circumcision as it is there because his foreskin is too tight and I ought to be manipulating it to ease it up. She wants to circumcise him in 6 months. I thought that it was normal for the foreskin to be tight at this age and that it shouldn’t be manipulated that it would ease up on its own? He doesn’t have ballooning or infection surely circumcision should be a last resort?
Added:
Alan Greene
Hi Emily,
A common benign finding in uncircumcised boys is something called smegma or a preputial cyst. It’s just extra old skin cells that collect in a pocket because the foreskin isn’t fully retractible yet. These are usually well-delineated, and sometimes pearly white under the skin. They actually help the separation of the foreskin and the glans of the penis, and are squeezed out on their own once the foreskin becomes easier to retract. Nothing needs to be done for this in the meantime.
Phimosis is the name of not being able to retract the foreskin. There is both normal phimosis and phimosis that should be treated.
Normal phimosis is present in almost all newborn boys. The opening is soft and pliant, but doesn’t retract much. While there is usually some movement by age 2, in only about 8% of normal uncircumcised boys does it fully retract by 1st grade. This typically eases up on its own, as you’ve said. There’s no rush at all. Most are fully retractible by 7th grade.
I’ve written about the care and cleaning of an uncircumcised penis here: http://www.drgreene.com/qa-articles/cleaning-penis-intact-foreskin/
Circumcision isn’t needed for normal phimosis or for smega/preputial cysts. Gentle, but not forcible, manipulation can be okay.
With problem phimosis, the opening is usually hard, or scarred, or has a white ring. You may see frequent infections, ballooning, urinary problems, or new tightening after it used to be loose. A pediatrician or pediatric urologist can help to diagnose this.
Thanks, Emily, for looking into this for your son.
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Emily Hamblin
Many Thanks, that has put my mind at ease.
Emily
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Alan Greene
My pleasure! Great question.
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Deep
Hi Dr. Greene,
All your posts are date back to 2013. I am not sure if this topic is still active and if I will get a reply. Got my fingers crossed though.
There is a small cyst on the inner right thigh of my 16 month (1 year and 4 months) old daughter? What is it? Is it a lymphoma?
The lump was there for quite a long time. We noticed it when she was 6 months old. Now as she is growing, the lump has also grown a little bigger in size. We are not sure if it is a lymphoma. Has anyone faced this problem with their little ones?
I know that lymphoma is a not good (cancerous) but what are the usual locations of a lymphoma? Can this be treated with stem cells as we have got my daughter’s stem cells stored?
I am so worried. Please help
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