Small bony lump on the left shoulder. Where do lumps under the skin on the body come from?
No one is immune from the appearance of foreign neoplasms on the body - rashes, wen, acne, moles, papillomas, etc. Some of them are absolutely safe and do not pose any harm to health, while others can provoke the development of quite serious diseases, even cancer .
Subcutaneous bumps can appear anywhere: on the legs, arms, face, including the cheeks and other parts of the body. As a rule, their occurrence is noticed after the neoplasm reaches a large size.
Types of subcutaneous bumps
This is a seal that comes in several varieties. Some of them appear almost instantly - within a few hours, others are characterized by slow growth, so their increase in size can be noticed only after a certain amount of time. In any case, if you notice a thickening under the skin, you need to monitor its behavior and, if necessary, consult a doctor. This symptom should not be ignored, since a subcutaneous lump may be the first sign of an incipient disease.
The most common types of subcutaneous neoplasms are:
Neoplasms on the back
Lumps on the back under the skin can have different origins. Therefore, a specific treatment regimen is determined for each type. Each type has its own symptoms and characteristics.
Lipoma
A neoplasm consisting of adipose tissue and benign in nature. The lump is soft to the touch, mobile, and forms under the skin on any part of the back.
There are the following causes of lipoma:
This pathology most often affects people in working professions (porter, loader). Lipoma often appears in women under the age of 30.
The size of the cone can vary from a small pea to the size of a child's head.
The development of lipoma is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Occasionally there is pain caused by pressure growing tumor on nerve endings. Small bumps do not cause pain.
- Lipoma has a round or oval shape. The intramuscular neoplasm has no outline.
Myogelosis
The lump can form due to excessive physical stress on the spine. The pathology most often occurs in beginner athletes whose back muscles are not yet sufficiently trained. You can get rid of such tumors by reducing training time and reducing the load. Electrophoresis sessions, massage, swimming and other physical treatments will also help.
Atheroma
The disease, which occurs against the background of a violation of the outflow of sebaceous gland secretions, can be caused by the following reasons:
- Internal factors: hormonal or metabolic disorders, hyperhidrosis (increased sweating), skin diseases.
- External factors: injury to the sebaceous duct or glands, unfavorable environment.
The pathology is characterized by the following symptoms:
In its advanced form, atheroma can provoke the development of some complications.
The purulent form of the disease has the following symptoms:
Hemangioma
This is a benign tumor that does not grow and does not metastasize. It has no obvious symptoms. There are the following reasons for the development of hemangioma:
Any tumor on the back is benign and cannot cause pain upon palpation. However, if pain is still present, it means that an inflammatory process has begun under the skin. In such cases, you should not postpone your visit to the doctor.
Features of formations on the hands
On the hand, in particular on the wrist, a harmless neoplasm most often appears - a hygroma. It usually develops near tendons and joints, in places that are often subject to injury. In some cases, hygroma develops due to hereditary characteristics. Most often, the disease affects young women aged 20–30 years. Experts attribute this to the constant stress on the hands of a young mother when she is carrying a baby.
If the cyst is hidden (under the ligaments), it can only be detected in the clinic, where the patient comes with complaints of pain in the wrist joints that occurs when flexing the hand.
Basically, subcutaneous tumors in this area do not cause pain; pain can only appear with pressure or as a result of mechanical impact.
Hygroma often occurs in the following areas:
Causes of lumps on the hand
Soft, dense tumors are most often found near small and large joints. They can form as a result of mechanical impact (impact, bruise, etc.), prolonged monotonous load on these areas, or an inflammatory process occurring in them.
In older people, such formations can develop against the background of an accumulation of connective tissue fragments near tendons or joints.
Lumps usually appear on the outer surface of the hand, which is constantly in a tense working condition. This may be due to heavy physical labor, as well as constant work on the computer.
If you shine a flashlight on a subcutaneous lump in complete darkness, you can discern some iridescent substance resembling a gel.
Symptoms of hygroma
The tumor develops quite quickly. First, a small compaction appears, which soon turns into one or several bumps located close to each other. The process may be accompanied by mild pain, which is often characterized as a dull ache. If the lump presses on tendons, nerve fibers or blood vessels, the pain may intensify, which significantly impairs the quality of life. The dimensions of the neoplasm reach 3 cm.
Other signs include:
Although this is an absolutely safe neoplasm that does not develop metastases, it is still better to cure it. Firstly, it looks rather unaesthetic, and secondly, it still causes some discomfort that interferes with normal life activities.
Therefore, it is better not to postpone a visit to the clinic, especially if the lump begins to increase in size.
Contact a specialist
If a lump under the skin appears on your stomach, legs and arms, buttocks or back, you should definitely visit a doctor and undergo an appropriate examination. If necessary, the surgeon may refer the patient to a dermatologist or oncologist.
In such a situation, you should never self-medicate, as this can lead to serious complications, the development of inflammatory processes, as well as severe irreversible consequences.
Treatment of neoplasms
Often people turn to the doctor when a tumor that has appeared under the skin begins to hurt. After all, it is quite difficult to notice the moment the lumps appear: at first the tumors are small in size and do not bother the owner in any way.
Although there are many recommendations for getting rid of subcutaneous tumors, the most effective and reliable method is removal. The fact is that non-surgical methods of treating such tumors bring only temporary relief, after which the pathology reappears.
There are the following methods for removing subcutaneous bumps:
If the pathological compaction has reached a large size, it will have to be removed only in a hospital setting, using a regular scalpel. Before surgery, the doctor prescribes anti-inflammatory therapy for atheroma to prevent pus from entering the bloodstream. Naturally, after such an operation a long rehabilitation period will be required. Open intervention is also indicated for the formation of a malignant tumor.
At the first signs of a subcutaneous neoplasm, it is imperative to carry out diagnostic measures and undergo the necessary course of treatment. Do not try to determine the type of tumor and prescribe therapy yourself. The diagnosis should only be made by a specialist based on the studies performed.
In official medicine, a wen is called a lipoma (Greek lipos - fat, oma - tumor). Lipoma is a tumor of adipose tissue, which is characterized by extensive localization. Lumps under the skin can appear on any part of the body, from the top of the head to the legs, but the largest growths most often occur in the shoulder joint area. Large wen is characterized by localization in places with a thin layer of fat, which is the shoulder. If neoplasms under the skin of the face and head rarely exceed 2 cm in diameter, then a lipoma of the shoulder girdle can easily grow to the size of a chicken egg.
How to recognize a wen?
Before starting treatment, it should be diagnosed that the lump on the shoulder or forearm is a lipoma, and not an inflammation of the lymph node located in this area or a hygroma - an accumulation of serous fluid in the tissues. The neoplasm is characterized by an elastic structure; upon palpation, it can move under the skin absolutely painlessly.
The risk of lipomas is not associated with being overweight. Wen can “grow” under the skin even in thin people. The exact cause of their occurrence has not yet been determined, but the most popular theory is one that associates the appearance of wen with slagging in the body. With a decrease in gastrointestinal motility, accumulation of breakdown products of substances in the so-called gastrointestinal tract is characteristic. peripheral zone of the body, which is adipose tissue. As waste accumulates, it causes blockage of the ducts of the sebaceous glands, which leads to the development of a tumor. The main factors causing decreased gastrointestinal motility are:
- inclusion of “heavy” foods in the diet;
- non-compliance with the daily routine;
- sedentary lifestyle.
Do I need to remove the lipoma?
Wen is considered a benign tumor, but in 10-12 cases out of a hundred it can transform into a malignant tumor. Therefore, it is advisable to get rid of a wen that has developed on the shoulder or forearm as soon as possible. Treatment of lipomas involves both radical and conservative methods. But since the wen on the shoulders is most often very large, making compresses and lotions is ineffective. Such tumors only need to be removed.
There is an opinion that if a lipoma does not hurt, does not itch and generally does not cause discomfort, there is no need to do anything with it. Such carelessness can subsequently come out sideways: increasing in size, limopa can cause disruption of the blood supply to nearby tissues. Because of this, the skin first becomes red and then bluish, and the shoulder itself begins to hurt. Pain is caused by pinched nerve endings in the tumor area. Treatment of an enlarged lipoma is more expensive and lengthy.
How can I get rid of a tumor?
The pain of the operation depends on the method by which the lipoma will be removed:
- Surgical excision. The wen is incised with a scalpel and its contents are removed. The operation is performed under local anesthesia and usually takes no more than half an hour. After removing the fatty tissue, the incision is sutured. A small scar will remain in the place where the lipoma was.
- Minor invasion. The lipoma is punctured and a device is inserted into it, which sucks out the overgrown tissue. Unlike surgical excision, no traces are left at the site where the wen was.
- Liposuction. Treatment with this method also involves puncturing the lump under the skin. The fatty tissue is removed using a special device - a lipoaspirator. The operation is absolutely bloodless, but expensive.
The injection method of treating wen is widespread abroad. Its peculiarity is that the bumps can not be removed, but “blown away” using steroid injections under the skin. Over time, the lipoma stops protruding above the skin. In our country, this method is practically not used due to controversial reviews.
Before getting rid of a lipoma, it is advisable to conduct a laboratory analysis of its contents. This should be done to confirm the diagnosis and not to “miss” malignant neoplasms such as liposarcoma. After the operation, the removed material (adipose tissue) is sent for histological examination.
What not to do
Some people try to get rid of lumps under the skin at home. Theoretically, there is nothing difficult in opening the wen and squeezing out the contents, but in this way only small bumps can be removed, and only while ensuring complete sterility. It is simply not possible to squeeze out a large wen in the shoulder area completely at home. When removed by surgical excision, a special curette is used, which can completely scrape out the contents. If the lipoma is not completely scraped out, a new tumor will soon develop from the remnants of adipose tissue. Therefore, performing this operation at home is not only unsafe due to the high risk of infection, but also impractical.
Contents:
What causes the appearance of lipoma (fat)?
The exact causes of lipomas are currently unknown. A number of studies have found that their formation can be triggered by trauma (for example, bruise) to the skin, but the connection between trauma and the appearance of lipomas is not visible in all cases.
At some point in life, lipomas form in almost 1% of all adults. Lipomas can appear in a person of any age (including a child), but most often they form in people aged 40 to 60 years.
One of the types of lipoma is hibernoma. Like lipoma, hibernoma is composed of adipose tissue, however, hibernoma tissue does not look like regular fat, but like the dark fat that is found under the skin of newborn babies or the fat that some animals accumulate when they hibernate during the winter. Treatment of hibernoma is carried out according to the same rules as the treatment of lipoma (see below).
What does a lipoma look like? What symptoms and signs does it present?
Lipoma can form in almost any organ or part of the human body. They most often appear under the skin on the torso, shoulders, shoulder blades, neck (especially the back of the neck), or in the armpits or groin area. Most people only get one lipoma.
Many people describe “their lipomas” as soft, elastic, painless lumps (bumps or balls) under the skin that seem to slide to the side when you press on them with your finger.
What size can a lipoma have?
In 80% of cases, the size of the lipoma is less than 5 cm in diameter. Less commonly, lipomas can grow to large sizes (sometimes up to 20 or more centimeters in diameter).
Does lipoma hurt?
As a rule, lipomas do not hurt. If the lump under your skin hurts, it is most likely not a lipoma (see below).
Are lipomas dangerous? What complications and consequences can they cause?
Lipomas (fat under the skin) do not pose any health hazard. In some cases, when the lipoma is located in the area of the nerves and becomes large (for example, in the armpit), it can put pressure on the nerves and cause pain in a certain part of the body.
Can a lipoma be malignant and turn into cancer?
It's lipoma benign tumor. It never turns into cancer or destroys the tissue around it. However, as will be shown again below, some forms of cancer, in the initial stages of development, can look like a lipoma: more or less large, painless lumps under the skin.
In this regard, if you are not sure that your “bump” under the skin is a lipoma and have never consulted a doctor about this, be sure to do so.
Can a lipoma disappear on its own (dissolve)?
The medical literature describes many cases in which lipomas that formed in different people in internal organs shrank or disappeared on their own.
However, we were unable to find similar reports regarding lipomas under the skin.
It is possible that they may disappear or decrease spontaneously, but this appears to be quite rare.
It is not always possible to accurately distinguish a lipoma from other formations at home. In this regard, if you only assume that the “bump” under your skin is a lipoma (fat), be sure to consult a doctor (dermatologist, surgeon, therapist) to check it.
Be sure to consult a doctor if your “bump” under the skin:
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Diagnostics: what tests and examinations can a doctor prescribe?
In order to distinguish a lipoma from other types of formations, a doctor, most often, only needs to examine the person and ask him about how this formation appeared.
If necessary, in order to clarify the structure of the formation, the doctor may advise you to do an ultrasound or tomography of the “lipoma” area.
If during the examination the doctor determines that the lump under the skin does not look like a lipoma, he may advise you to have surgery to remove this formation and conduct a histological analysis of its tissue. This analysis makes it possible to definitively distinguish a lipoma (wen) from other types of formations.
What treatment is needed for lipoma?
Is it necessary to remove a lipoma (fat)?
Since lipomas do not pose any health risks, many people wonder whether they should be removed at all?
This question can be answered as follows: in cases where a lipoma does not bother a person (does not cause discomfort, does not interfere with his daily life) and there is no doubt that it is a lipoma, doctors do not recommend removing it. It is possible that the lipoma will continue to grow slowly. In this case, you can return to the question of its removal later.
On the other hand, if the lipoma is bothering you, or if your doctor thinks the lump under the skin may not be a lipoma, the right thing to do is to remove it.
One of the factors causing a malfunction in the body may be the appearance of subcutaneous bumps. However, human psychology works in such a way that we turn to specialists for help too late, often at this time the disease process has already reached a more severe stage. When visiting medical institutions, as a rule, there is already a noticeable increase and thickening of subcutaneous neoplasms, and in most cases it is accompanied by painful sensations and redness. Whatever the stage of the development process, it cannot be ignored, since a harmless lump after a while can turn into a malignant tumor.
Places of formation of cones
The human body is structured differently and individually tolerates the effects of various stimuli. Subcutaneous formations can appear all over the body, most often they form on the hands, especially in the fingers and wrist, on the forearm, and are much less common on the palms. The most common is the appearance of a lump on the back of the wrist. In this place, the formation does not cause pain or discomfort; its structure is dense. They appear from excessive overload of the hand.
Another most common location is the fingers. The cause of the appearance of balls on the fingers is arthritis, deformation of cartilage. This significantly reduces the functional purpose of the fingers, causing discomfort and the inability to squeeze the palms. With these growths, it is not recommended to overexert your arms and it is advisable to immediately consult a doctor.
Common causes
There can be many reasons for the appearance of lumps under the skin, ranging from the most primitive, such as a boil or melanoma, to serious oncological pathologies.
In certain cases, a work-related injury may be the deciding factor.
During a certain type of activity, due to the incorrect position of the joints, they can become distorted, salt accumulates in them, which leads to the appearance of seals. In most cases, this problem is accompanied by constant pain. Along with the costs of the profession, the same consequences arise after bruises or mechanical damage.
There are also some diseases that lead to the formation of lumps under the skin. Such diseases include:
Signs of malignant lumps
There are certain distinctive features by which the type of tumor can be recognized. The following points may indicate that an oncological malignant process is occurring in neoplasms:
- Often the lump does not have clear boundaries, but has jagged edges. The tumor is generally never smooth and round. However, at the very beginning there will be no prerequisites for malignancy. Discomfort, pain and discoloration are not observed at an early stage.
- The most important factor for concern is the growth of the lump. This especially applies to a tumor accompanied by an increase in temperature and a general deterioration in health. If the lump has grown by more than 1 cm and caused problems with your health, you should immediately visit a medical facility.
- The malignant tumor does not have pronounced mobility on palpation. We can say that they are ingrown into the skin, so there is pain when palpating and pressing. In advanced cases, blood may ooze from the lump or purulent discharge may occur on the surface.
- Oncological seals contribute to the febrile process. The temperature can remain at 37°C for a long time, or it can rise, reaching 40°C. Inflammation of the lymph nodes in the ear area occurs. These processes indicate the body’s fight against the disease.
Treatment of subcutaneous lumps
The question often arises about self-treatment of subcutaneous tumors at home. Is it possible to do this? The answer will definitely be negative. Under no circumstances should the resulting seal be squeezed out, pierced or removed by any other mechanical means. This can aggravate the process and cause infection in the open wound.
If you find a lump under the skin, it is still advisable to consult a doctor. Only he has the right to make the correct diagnosis, identify and explain the causes of the tumor and prescribe effective treatment measures. Initially, you will need to consult a general practitioner, who will then refer you to a specialized doctor, this may be an oncologist, surgeon or dermatologist, depending on the need.
Some types of tumors may go away on their own and do not require treatment.
Lipomas, for example, are removed when they already cause aesthetic discomfort, but a cyst need not be removed if it does not cause discomfort and is inhibited in development. If the cyst provokes an inflammatory process, surgery or medication injections may be required. Such types of lumps as fibroma are removed through surgery. If the appearance of formations is caused by infections, then it is better to start treatment by eliminating the source, and in this case the lump should disappear on its own. Hygroma also tends to go away on its own, but when it disappears, cases of relapse are possible. Treatment methods for this disease directly depend on the severity and neglect of the disease.
If you contact a specialist in a timely manner, when the process is at the initial stage of development, electrophoresis, mud masks or wraps, ultraviolet radiation, and heat therapy can be used for therapeutic purposes.
If the process occurs over a long period of time, puncture to remove internal fluid, the use of hormonal drugs, and a tight bandage may be prescribed. Tight bandaging is aimed at squeezing the lump and tearing its covers, as a result of which the liquid inside gets into the thickness of the joint. This method is mainly used for hygroma. However, it is not a universal panacea for eliminating the disease and does not guarantee complete recovery without relapse. In addition to all this, an inflammatory process may occur.
Traditional medicine recipes
Here are some effective remedies for bumps on the hands and forearms:
- Celery decoction for internal use. To prepare it, you need to boil celery root and peel potatoes in a 1:1 ratio, let them sit for a while, and strain. Use the product several times a day until the bumps go away.
- Lotions made from yolk, honey, ghee, apple cider vinegar. Mix all the listed ingredients, soak a bandage in them, apply it to the formations and leave overnight. This procedure will help remove the bump and restore functionality to the joints.
- Tincture of calendula or lavender. Pour a couple of tablespoons of dry herb into 200 ml of vodka, leave for a week in a dark place, shaking occasionally, strain. Soak a bandage in the solution, apply to the sore spot, wrap with film and leave overnight. However, it must be used with caution so as not to cause skin burns.
Lumps under the skin can appear throughout the body or in certain parts of it spontaneously, for example, due to inflammation of the lymph nodes or an infectious disease, or as a result of blows. These can be single defects or multiple. Swellings, compactions, and bumps are most often the result of infections, tumors, or the body's reactions to injury or damage.
The bumps can be hard or soft depending on the reason for their appearance. The skin at the site of the defect, as a rule, changes color, becomes reddened, inflamed, and ulcerated. Seals can be painful or painless.
What causes bumps to appear?
There are a number of diseases that are accompanied by a similar symptom.
These include the following conditions:
- Acne;
- Cysts;
- Boils, abscesses;
- Actinic keratosis;
- Erythema nodosum;
- Lipoma;
- Insect bites;
- Keloid scars;
- Melanoma;
- Skin cancer;
- Pityriasis pilaris.
Seals may appear due to the following pathologies:
- xanthoma (pathological neoplasm due to impaired fat metabolism);
- skin fibroma;
- enlarged lymph nodes;
- angular or annular granuloma;
- hemangioma (compaction of capillaries);
- abscess/infection;
- intradermal cyst;
- keratoacanthoma;
- metastatic cancer;
- neurofibromatosis;
- purulent granuloma;
- birthmark;
- wart;
- rheumatoid nodules;
- enlargement of sebaceous glands;
- sebaceous cyst;
- seborrheic keratosis;
- foreign bodies;
- soft tissue sarcoma;
- basal cell carcinoma.
As you can see, there are quite a lot of diseases accompanied by the appearance of various kinds of lumps and lumps. Therefore, you need to consult a doctor for differential diagnosis. This could be a dermatologist, infectious disease specialist, dermatovenerologist or oncologist.
Bumps all over the body like skin cysts
These neoplasms are benign. They are a sac filled with pus or fluid.
They can appear on any part of the body in the form of small peas. They can appear due to blockage of the sebaceous glands, around foreign bodies (eg earrings), and skin infections.
They grow slowly and do not cause pain; they look like a smooth ball that can roll slightly under the skin. Some cysts may disappear on their own, while others may need to be cut open and the contents removed.
If such a tumor becomes inflamed, treatment consists of cortisone injections. If there is no effect or relapse, surgical removal is resorted to.
Bumps under the skin due to follicles
Folliculitis is inflammation of the hair follicles. The cause of the disease is infection, mechanical or chemical effects (friction on clothing, reaction to cosmetics). Most often, the lump appears on the face, hips, and head. Folliculitis often affects people who are obese and have diabetes, as well as those with weak immune systems.
Folliculitis requires antibiotics and antifungal medications. Defects must be protected to prevent their spread - limit friction, do not shave, keep clean.
A lump located under the skin on the leg
The most common cause is dermatofibroma, a benign tumor that is not dangerous and does not require emergency treatment. However, it is necessary to obtain the advice of a dermatologist.
If necessary, he can excise it under local anesthesia. There are cases, although quite rare, that dermatofibromas on the leg go away on their own.
Lump located on the chin under the skin
Compaction can occur when there is an inflammatory process in the teeth of the lower jaw. Alternatively, it could be a common eel. The latter often occur in people with problem skin. Painful pimples that look like bumps often appear on the chin, cheeks, nose, and forehead.
Soft bumps all over the body
Many people suffer from lipomas - fat-like lumps. What are wen?
They are soft to the touch, have borders, move slightly when palpated, look like peas and can increase in size. Their appearance may go unnoticed because they are not accompanied by unpleasant symptoms. Even when pressing on the lipoma there is no pain. The lump can occur on the shoulder under the skin or on any other part of the body where fatty tissue is present. The only discomfort that a lipoma can cause is its unaesthetic appearance.
- The provoking factor is poor nutrition combined with a sedentary lifestyle and disrupted daily routine.
- Gastrointestinal motility decreases, decay products are not removed and accumulate in different parts of the body. Toxins lead to blockage of the sebaceous glands.
Wen on the shoulder and other parts of the body are not malignant neoplasms, but there is still a minimal risk of their mutations. This happens when an old internal wen becomes overgrown with a capsule, which makes it inaccessible to antibodies, creating a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic flora. You cannot squeeze, pierce, or burn lipomas yourself, so as not to introduce an infection into them.
A doctor can remove a wen in several ways:
- introduce into it a special substance that promotes resorption;
- surgically; using a laser.
Lump on forehead located under the skin
- Most often they appear due to bruises and blows. If it occurs spontaneously and is located closer to the scalp, you need to urgently consult a doctor to find out the reasons for its appearance.
- The usual lump under the skin is sometimes a deep abscess. In this case, pus accumulates in the lower tissues and appears externally only as redness and slight swelling of the skin. Only a specialist can determine that it is an abscess.
Treatment consists of taking antibiotics, vitamins, ointments and gels that will help the abscess to mature. If it is necessary to open an abscess, this is done by a surgeon.
- The lump on the forehead may be the aforementioned lipoma. If you do nothing, it will grow and harden. You can’t crush it or cauterize it. You must see a doctor for surgical removal. For prevention purposes, take proper care of the skin, especially for problem skin.
If the bump is the result of a bruise/impact, there is a bluish or purple tint to the skin. You need to apply ice, a wet napkin or a bottle of cold water to it.
Will help:
- Compresses made from grated potatoes or fresh meat.
- Sometimes an iodine mesh is made on it.
- Large lumps dissolve faster when applying compresses of bodyaga or grated onion and salt.
- The consequences of hemorrhage are well eliminated by heparin ointment.
- “Lioton” and “Troxevasin” are used for the same purposes.
- You can attach a leaf of plantain or cabbage to it.
A lump that appears on the buttock under the skin
In this case, the neoplasm may be a lipoma.
