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Armpit lump

• Overview
• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Lump in the armpit; Localized lymphadenopathy - armpit; Axillary lymphadenopathy; Axillary lymph enlargement; Lymph nodes enlargement - axillary; Axillary abscess

Home Care:

Home care depends on the reason for the lump. Check with your health care provider to determine the cause.

Call your health care provider if:

Call if you have any unexplained armpit lumps. Do not try to diagnose lumps without professional help.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

Your doctor will perform a physical examination and ask questions about your medical history and symptom, such as:

• When did you first notice the lump?
• Is it getting better, worse, or staying the same?
• Are you breast-feeding?
• Have you noticed any factors that make it worse?
• What other symptoms are also present?
• Is the lump painful?

The physical examination may include palpation -- gently pressing the nodes with the fingertips.

Testing depends on what is found during the physical examination. Tests that may be done include:

• Blood tests, such as a complete blood count ( CBC )
• Kidney function tests
• Liver function tests
• Liver-spleen scan
• Lymph node biopsy
• Mammogram
• Platelet count
• X-ray of the chest

OUTLOOK

A lump in the armpit caused by a generalized viral infection will eventually disappear without treatment. A lump in the armpit caused by an allergic reaction will go away after the "trigger" is removed. No treatment is necessary for a lump in the armpit caused by normal breast tissue. Usually, no treatment is necessary for a cyst.

A lump in the armpit caused by a lipoma is harmless, unless it grows so large that it causes discomfort.

The outlook for cancerous lumps depends on the specific type of cancer. See the following for more information:

• Breast cancer
• Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Non-Hodgkin's lymphome
• Leukemia

References:

Oguz A, Karadeniz C, Temel EA Citak EC, Okur FV. Evaluation of peripheral lymphadenopathy in children. Pediatr Hematol Oncol . 2006;23(7):549-561.

Zakaria S, Johnson R, Pockaj BA, Degnim AC. Breast cancer presenting as unilateral arm edema. J Gen Intern Med . 2007; 22(5):675-676.

Henry PH, Longo DL. Enlargement of lymph nodes and spleen. In: Kasper DL, Braunwald E, Anthony S. Fauci AS, eds. Harrison’s Internal Medicine. 16th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2005.

• Review Date: 7/17/2007
• Reviewed By: Robert Hurd, MD, Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, and physician in the Primary Care Clinic, Cincinnati Veterans Administration Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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