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Singular painless lump in my neck.

SeanGhaellach
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Hey Everyone

Great to have a space online to be able to openly discuss matters like this. Fantastic for patients, and those like myself who are anxiously waiting news!

I'll preface this by saying that I have recently been diagnosed with a thyroglossal cyst, which I am awaiting surgery for. I'm wondering if it's possible that this could be related to my latest neck quarrel. I'm a 20 year old male, I smoke lightly both tobacco and marijuana, and really don't drink alcohol often. I eat very well and I follow a vegetarian diet. I'm a scaffolder so I also get plenty of exercise. 

I have one singular , moveable lump on the right side of my neck, a little bellow the end of my jawbone. It is no painful, and I have no symptoms of any infections. I also have no symptoms that this lump may be of a malignant nature either. 

My primary concern is, that an ENT doctor that I saw about my thryoglossal cyst mentioned that in very rare cases they can in fact become malignant. I'm worried that this lump may be a result of this happening, due to my lack of symptoms and locality. 

I have previously been diagnosed with medical anxiety, and general anxiety. This makes issues like this all the more urgent to me. In fact, I can almost recall feeling this same lump when my thyroglossal cyst got infected, but my anxious brain is convinced that this is a new development. 

I have also done some reading about branchial cleft cysts which can present themselves this way, in the same place that I have found this lump, among other possible locations. Being that thyroglossal cysts and branchial cleft cysts are both congenital, I wonder does having one increase the likely hood of having the other? Can't seem to find any reading on that however. 

Anyway, my doc didn't seem to fussed about my lack of symptoms, but I find it really odd, that if it is a lymph node, that it would swell up by itself with no apparent cause.

There's a lot of conflicting info online about neck masses, and whether it's more worrisome to have symptoms, or more worrisome to have none. I can't seem to find any explanations as to why only one lymph node may swell up for a time. 

Please excuse my brevity and possible ramblings, typing from a phone!

Many thanks for reading. 

  • Hi SeanGhaellach,

    Thanks for your lovely comments about the forum. There isn't a particular reason why lymph nodes occur and your doctor says it's rare that your kind of cyst would turn malignant.

    You mentioned that you were diagnosed with anxiety. I would suggest you try not to look for answers online, as they will increase your anxiety levels unnecessarily and the only person that can diagnose you is your doctor. Anxiety UK  may have been mentioned to you at some point, but if not, it has plenty of useful resources including an online therapy service, which might be helpful.

    Best wishes,

    Moderator Anastasia 

  • Offline in reply to Moderator Anastasia

    Thanks for the reply!

    I try not to google but I can't help it, I try to find reassurance anywhere I can that I'll be OK. 

     

    Just last night I found a lump near the top, inside of my leg. I wasn't searching, just scratching. I'm not sure if it's my groin or not. It's a visible bump that is a little red and sore, but I'm hoping it's just an ingrown hair from wearing a tight fitting harness most days of the week. I'm just glad I'm seeing the doc tomorrow and can start getting some answers, my anxious brain can't cope with this sort of stress!

    I find it odd that only two little lumps have appeared, but somewhat comforting. I imagine that if I had something going on that had spread, it would probably appear in more than 2 isolated places so distant to each other in the body. On the other hand it makes me panic more as I worry that I've somehow managed to let something slip under my hyper alert body radar to the point where it could be too late

    If I did have something going on that had spread, would it be typical to be displaying some sort of symptoms of illness by now? I know everyone is different, so maybe that's a bit tricky to answer. 

  • Offline

    Hey all

     

    I'm aware that there are other threads on the go at the moment which are of a more serious nature, but posting on here helps me vent a bit of my anxiety, so I'll go ahead.

    Firstly I spologise for my anxious ramblings of my previous threads, it really does take over me sometimes.

    I found another sweollen lymph node above my left collar bone which really scared me because I've read that in tests, 60% of people with a swollen lymph node there have a malignant condition. But again, googling and reading anything about anything is always bound to mess with your head.

    I've been back to the docs, had a blood test taken, and seen another GP the same day, as the doc  I saw previously was a locum, and I wanted someone that would see me a little more regularly to have a look at me.

    Bloods came back satisfactory anyway which I guess is good. I was given anti biotics by locum which I have been terrible at remembering to take because I don't feel ill, but the course only has a few tablets left so I will finish them.

    Regular GP referred me for an ultra sound of my neck, to check up on how my thryoglossal cyst and thyroid are doing, and to get a better look at my swollen nodes, which still haven't gone away, or gotten any bigger that I can notice. Her best advice to me was "poke, and you will find" in regards to finding swellings and lymph nodes in the body, and not to go proding about because I will probably find more on the go and cause myself further unnecessary anguish.

    Maybe I'm just a nodey person but who knows, I certainly don't, and it's still driving me a wee bit mad after reading so many stories of people getting misdiagnosed for stuff like lymphoma for a long time before seeing a doctor that pushed for proper tests. Hopefully the US scan can either settle me down, or get me pointed toward seeing a proper ENT doctor to find out what's up!

     

     

  • Offline in reply to SeanGhaellach

    Hi just wanted to ask how is it going for you now?

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