Armpit lump

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.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

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

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.