Swelling or lump
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 alone. When you press a lipoma it should feel soft and "doughy" to touch. It can range from the size of a pea to a few centimetres across.
A cyst is a sac under the skin that contains fluid, usually pus. It can look a bit like a lipoma but is close to the surface of the skin (lipomas are deeper under the skin). Cysts arefirm to the touch. A cyst may disappear without treatment or you may need to have it drained.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
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
Lump in the armpit
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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