Strange lump on neck

[steve30]

I've had issues with occasional neck pain and headaches for a few years now. In February this year, my Mum noticed that I had a lump on the right hand side of my neck. At the time she noticed this, I had an unusual amount of pain and couldn't move my neck all the way round.

Most of that pain went away after a week or so, but I'm sure the lump has become more noticable since. 

I usually get neck pain when cycling and swimming, but it sometimes happens without that as well.

The lump tends to appear and disappear.

I had an X-Ray in July, and went to see my GP a fortnight ago to find out if the image showed anything odd, but he just read out a piece of paper which said 'no abnormalities found'. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the actual image.

Does anyone here have any idea of what this could be? I'm really clueless and my googling hasn't helped. I don't really care if you have no idea either. I'm just looking for ideas.

 

[jimboalee]

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Time for another GP!

 

[snorri]

Time for another GP!

Seconded.
I was just having a telecon tonight with an old friend whose partner had a neck problem for which her GP gave her painkillers. After some persuasion she asked for a second opinion from another GP, in the same health centre, who promptly had her sent on for further tests which revealed the problem.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

Are you able to move it around, sort of wobble it about ? If so it's probably a Lipoma, a cyst of fatty tissue. I had one on my leg the size of a golf ball. Had it removed with surgery (local only), took about 20 mins, and job done.

 

[ASC1951]

Well, 'no abnormalities found' is certainly reassuring, but if it was me I would like to know what it was.

I have a lump just above my collar bone, which comes and goes. It's a small cyst/ganglion and now that I know what it is I can take the informed decision to leave it alone.

 

[steve30]

Seconded.
I was just having a telecon tonight with an old friend whose partner had a neck problem for which her GP gave her painkillers. After some persuasion she asked for a second opinion from another GP, in the same health centre, who promptly had her sent on for further tests which revealed the problem.

I did actually see someone else before I was sent off for an X-Ray. He didn't seem to notice anything.

Are you able to move it around, sort of wobble it about ? If so it's probably a Lipoma, a cyst of fatty tissue. I had one on my leg the size of a golf ball. Had it removed with surgery (local only), took about 20 mins, and job done.

It does move slightly, for example, when walking, but I can't move it with my fingers.

Well, 'no abnormalities found' is certainly reassuring, but if it was me I would like to know what it was.

Depends on your point of view, but to me 'no abnormalities found' was quite a disappointment. It is obvious to me that there is 'something' wrong, so I was a bit annoyed to be told there was nothing wrong.

 

[ASC1951]

t to me 'no abnormalities found' was quite a disappointment.

Yes, I can see that. Don't get me wrong, I would still want to know what it was, and certainly my GP would have given me a list of what it might be. But at least you know it's not something horrible, obvious and serious.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Are you able to move it around, sort of wobble it about ? If so it's probably a Lipoma, a cyst of fatty tissue. I had one on my leg the size of a golf ball. Had it removed with surgery (local only), took about 20 mins, and job done.

Yes, but those aren't supposed to be painful are they? I have one on my arm, and you can move it quite easily.

 

[e-rider]

I'd be pretty happy with 'no abnormalities found' - would you prefer "you have cancer and 6 months to live"?

Howeevr, I understand that you want to reduce/cure the pain so it's worth investigating further if the pain affects your everyday life.

 

[ventoux50]

I've had issues with occasional neck pain and headaches for a few years now. In February this year, my Mum noticed that I had a lump on the right hand side of my neck. At the time she noticed this, I had an unusual amount of pain and couldn't move my neck all the way round.

Most of that pain went away after a week or so, but I'm sure the lump has become more noticable since.

I usually get neck pain when cycling and swimming, but it sometimes happens without that as well.

The lump tends to appear and disappear.

I had an X-Ray in July, and went to see my GP a fortnight ago to find out if the image showed anything odd, but he just read out a piece of paper which said 'no abnormalities found'. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the actual image.

Does anyone here have any idea of what this could be? I'm really clueless and my googling hasn't helped. I don't really care if you have no idea either. I'm just looking for ideas.

Stop messing about and get this investigated properly, if you've been getting neck pain and headaches for a few years with no explanation, and then you (mum) discover an abnormal lump, but wait a week in pain without seeing the doc !! WHY ??

If it's become more noticeable - how big is it now ? is it painful to touch, does it restrict movement ?

You had an X-ray in JULY but only went to ask about the results 2WEEKS AGO - WHY ?

As for the 'no abmormalities found' - fantastic news, and why would you need to see the image - are you a radiographer ? - doubt it !

X-rays of course only show bones (mainly) so any abnormal soft tissue issues would not necessarily show up - leading to the 'no abnormalities' verdict.

Go back to the docs - see a different GP and ask to be referred to a specialist - ask about MRI scans and explain in detail what is happening - Take control of your health and stop messing about googling and asking unqualified people how to deal with it !

Oh - and good luck

 

[Rubber Bullets]

I've long suspected that GP's use the 'I'll send you for an X-ray' line to get patients off their backs for the few weeks that it takes to get an appointment, a report and for the patient to return. For the most part patients will have got better in that time and therefore may stop bothering the GP.

X-rays are, as ventoux50 says, poor at imaging and therefore diagnosing soft tissue lumps like these, and it is slightly disappointing that your GP started with that as a diagnostic tool. MRI might well help, though waiting lists can be long, it might be that a simple ultrasound scan could be just as good, and possibly quicker to get (don't know what waiting times are round your way).

To be honest it isn't just you who didn't get to see the image, the GP would have been unlikely to have seen it himself, most of them wouldn't know what they were looking at anyway.

I am a radiographer, and have spent the last 25 years taking and looking at x-rays. I have picked up a bit of knowledge along the way but wouldn't dream of telling you what I thought it was from what you have told us. However try not to worry too much, it is not very likely to be anything nasty, but do go back to the surgery armed with the little bit of knowledge we have given you and get it checked properly.

RB

 

[pepecat]

I'd get it properly checked - especially if its causing you jip and neck/head pain. When i was 18 i discovered a lump in my neck, just above the collar bone, and when i pressed on it, the nerve down my arm twinged. The gp sent me to a consultant who did a chest x ray and ultrasound. The ultrasound is better at picking up stuff that x rays miss (I guess as people have said above) and turned out i had calcified tissue both sides attached to the collar bones. I'd never have known this if i'd not had the ultrasound, so it is worth seeing if you can get a second gp opinion or maybe an ultrasound to see what's going on.

 

[steve30]

Going to the local GP surgery is not a pleasant experience for someone like me, and I would not have even had the X-Ray had my Grandmother not taken me in July when I had tonsillitis (no, I wouldn't have gone on my own, I only just managed it to the local post box to post an urgent letter). How she managed to get an appointment for me that same day I will never know, as they usually refuse to give me one at all.

I would rather put up with occasional headaches and pain than mess around with my current practise. I am considering changing though.

To be honest it isn't just you who didn't get to see the image, the GP would have been unlikely to have seen it himself, most of them wouldn't know what they were looking at anyway.

I never actually asked to see the image, so I don't know if the doctor has a copy of it or not. I did see the X-Ray of my hand though back around 1996, but that was in A&E. I also had an X-Ray of something else a few years after that but I can't remember what it was.

So, what is an MRI scan likely to show? I don't really know anything about MRI things.

*heads back to google*

 

[Rubber Bullets]

So, what is an MRI scan likely to show? I don't really know anything about MRI things.

Any type of image that is acquired using x-rays shows the relative difference in atomic density between the different tissue types. Plain x-rays are good at demonstrating bone as it is a lot more dense than the surrounding soft tissues. It is not so good at differentiating muscle and fat for instance as they have relatively similar densities.

MRI scanners differentiate between tissues based on their relative concentration of hydrogen atoms, or basically water content. It is much easier to tell the difference between fat/muscle/blood using MRI.

RB