Unexplained lump

An unexplained lump is any new swelling or mass you notice under the skin or in a tissue, without a clear reason such as a recent injury. Lumps are very common and the great majority are benign. Frequent harmless causes include lipomas (soft, movable fatty lumps), cysts, and swollen lymph nodes, which enlarge as they fight a nearby infection (a sore throat, a skin infection) and usually settle afterwards. The location gives clues: a tender, mobile neck lump with a cold is usually a reactive gland, while a breast lump, a firm fixed lump, a testicular lump, or a lump that keeps growing deserves closer attention. Features that make a lump more worth investigating are: being hard, fixed to surrounding tissue, painless yet growing, larger than a couple of centimetres, or persisting for more than a few weeks — and lumps accompanied by weight loss, night sweats, or fevers. Certain lumps have specific pathways: a new breast lump, a testicular lump, or persistently enlarged lymph nodes are all assessed promptly. The point is not alarm — most lumps are harmless — but that a new, persistent or growing lump is worth having checked so the reassuring majority can be confirmed and the few that matter found early.

• Swollen lymph node — reacting to a nearby infection; usually tender and settles.
• Lipoma — a soft, movable, harmless fatty lump.
• Cyst — a fluid-filled lump, often harmless.
• Infection or abscess — a tender, warm, sometimes red lump.
• Hernia — a lump in the groin or abdomen, often more obvious on straining.
• A benign or, less often, cancerous growth — such as a breast lump, testicular lump, or a persistently enlarged, hard lymph node.

How a lump is assessed depends far more on examining it and, often, imaging (ultrasound is common) than on blood tests. The doctor considers its site, size, texture, whether it is fixed, and any other symptoms. Depending on the findings, an ultrasound, or a sample (biopsy or fine-needle aspiration) may be arranged, which is how the nature of a lump is confirmed. Blood tests play a supporting role: a full blood count and inflammatory markers if infection is likely, and, only in specific situations, tumour markers (which are used within a defined diagnosis, not to screen). Mediora.AI can surface relevant blood-test patterns in context, but a new, persistent or growing lump is assessed by examination and usually imaging — please have it checked by your doctor.