Lumps

The appearance of a lump anywhere on the body is a common medical concern. A lump refers to an abnormal swelling, growth, or localized mass of tissue that can be felt under or on the skin. Lumps may develop suddenly or gradually, be painless or tender, and can vary greatly in size, shape, and consistency. While many lumps are benign (non-cancerous), some may indicate serious underlying conditions, including infections, cysts, or cancers.

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Common Causes of Lumps

1. Benign (Non-Cancerous) Causes

   • Lipomas – Soft, movable fatty lumps under the skin, usually painless.

   • Cysts (sebaceous, ganglion, epidermoid) – Fluid-filled sacs that may become inflamed or infected.

   • Fibroadenomas – Firm, rubbery lumps in the breast tissue, common in younger women.

   • Dermatofibromas – Firm nodules caused by scar-like tissue under the skin.

2. Inflammatory or Infectious Causes

   • Abscesses – Pus-filled lumps due to bacterial infection; red, warm, and painful.

   • Swollen lymph nodes – Often due to infection (e.g., throat infection, tuberculosis, HIV).

3. Trauma-Related Causes

   • Hematomas – Blood collections under the skin due to injury.

4. Malignant (Cancerous) Causes

   • Breast cancer lumps – Hard, irregular, fixed lumps in the breast tissue.

   • Lymphomas – Painless lymph node enlargement, often in the neck, armpits, or groin.

   • Sarcomas or carcinomas – Rare malignant tumors arising in connective or epithelial tissue.

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Symptoms That Need Medical Evaluation

Seek medical advice if a lump is:

• Hard, irregular, and immovable.

• Growing rapidly or larger than 2 cm.

• Associated with pain, fever, night sweats, or weight loss.

• Occurring in the breast, testicle, or neck lymph nodes.

• Persisting for more than 2–4 weeks without improvement.

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Diagnosis

Evaluation depends on location, size, and patient history:

• Physical examination – To assess mobility, consistency, tenderness.

• Ultrasound or MRI – To differentiate solid vs. cystic lumps.

• Fine needle aspiration (FNA) or biopsy – For histopathological examination.

• Blood tests – To identify infection or tumor markers.

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Treatment

Treatment depends on the underlying cause:

1. Benign lumps

   • Lipomas: Usually require no treatment unless painful → excision if needed.

   • Cysts: May resolve spontaneously; incision and drainage or surgical removal if recurrent.

2. Infectious lumps

   • Abscess: Incision and drainage + antibiotics (e.g., Amoxicillin-clavulanate 625 mg orally every 8 hours for 7–10 days).

   • Swollen lymph nodes: Treat underlying infection with appropriate antibiotics (e.g., Azithromycin 500 mg once daily for 3 days for bacterial infections).

3. Trauma-related hematomas

   • Rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE); aspiration or drainage if large.

4. Malignant lumps

   • Require referral to oncology for surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy depending on diagnosis.

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Medications for Pain and Inflammation

• Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) 500–1000 mg orally every 6–8 hours as needed (max 4 g/day).

• Ibuprofen 400 mg orally every 8 hours with food for inflammation and pain (if not contraindicated).

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Precautions

• Do not attempt to squeeze or puncture lumps at home.

• Avoid delay in medical consultation if lump is suspicious.

• Regular self-examinations (e.g., breast, testicular checks) help detect changes early.

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle to reduce risks of infection and malignancy.

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Drug Interactions to Note

• NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen) may interact with antihypertensives and anticoagulants.

• Antibiotics like clarithromycin or azithromycin may interact with statins and warfarin.

• Chemotherapy drugs used for malignant lumps have multiple interactions, requiring specialist supervision.