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Hump behind the shoulders - Overview

Alternative Names

Buffalo hump; Dorsocervical fat pad

Definition of Hump behind the shoulders:

Hump behind the shoulders is a lump of fat on the back of the neck.

Considerations:

A hump behind the shoulders by itself is not a sign of any one, specific condition. The doctor must consider this along with other symptoms and test results.

Common Causes:

Certain drugs used to treat AIDS
Extended use of certain steroid medicines, including prednisone, cortisone, and hydrocortisone
Extreme obesity
Hypercortisolism (caused by Cushing syndrome)

Osteoporosis may cause a curvature of the spine in the neck called kyphoscoliosis. This causes an abnormal shape but does not by itself cause excessive fat in the back of the neck.

Reviewed last on: 10/18/2009
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Nieman LK. Adrenal cortex. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 245.

Stewart PM. The adrenal cortex. In: Kronenberg HM, Melmed S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:chap 14.

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