Swelling or lump

Lump in the neck or throat

A lump in the neck or throat is most likely to be one of the following:

swollen glands usually a sign of infection, such as a cold or glandular fever ; the glands tend to go down when you recover
acyst a harmless fluid-filled lump that may disappear on its own without treatment (it will feel like a pea and roll under the skin when you press it)
a skin tag a harmless, knobbly wart-like growth that hangs off the skin and can be left alone
a goitre an abnormal swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck that causes a lump to form in the throat

Click on the links above for more information about these conditions.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for swelling or lump

Introduction

Most lumps and swellings are harmless but they should still be checked by a GP. Find out more about different types of lumps and swellings and why they occur.

Facial swelling or lump

A lump or swelling on the face that wasn't caused by an injury is most likely to be one of the following: Mumps a viral infection that usually affects children and causes swelling of the glands on

Lump in the neck or throat

A lump in the neck or throat is most likely to be one of the following: swollen glands usually a sign of infection, such as a cold or glandular fever ; the glands tend to go down when you rec

Lump in the breast

Breast lumps are common and have several different causes. While most breast lumps aren't breast cancer , any unusual changes to the breasts should be checked by a GP as soon as possible. Common caus

Lump on the shoulder, back, chest or arm

A lump on the shoulder, back, chest or arm is most likely to be a lipoma or a cyst. A lipoma is a soft, fatty lump that grows under the skin. It's fairly common, harmless and can usually be left alo

A lump in the armpit is likely to be a swollen lymph gland , particularly if you also feel unwell and have other signs of an infection. The glands in the armpit can swell to more than a few centimetre

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