Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSwollen Lymph NodesSerious InfectionsAcneLipomasCystsTumorsCancerWhen to Seek Medical CareDiagnosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Swollen Lymph Nodes
Serious Infections
Acne
Lipomas
Cysts
Tumors
Cancer
When to Seek Medical Care
Diagnosis
A lump behind the ear can have many possible causes. The most common are swollen lymph nodes, infections, and skin conditions. These lumps or nodes are typically harmless and easy to treat, but you should keep an eye on a sudden lump or one that grows in size. Rarely, non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous tumors can develop behind the ear.
Sometimes, tumors begin as small, soft spots but grow progressively larger and harder. A lump behind the ear can develop anywhere between the top of the ear and the lobe. These small- to medium-sized bumps can be soft or hard. You may feel pain or no discomfort at all.
Getty Images /Shidlovski
You might notice a lump behind your ear when you have an illness like strep throat or anear infection.Lymph nodesbehind the ear (posteriorauricularlymph nodes) may swell as your body works to fight off an infection.
Other commoninfectionscan also cause swollen lymph nodes, such as:
Infectionsare treated in various ways depending on what type of pathogen is involved:
What Swollen Lymph Nodes Feel LikeDepending on the cause, swollenlymph nodesmay feel painful, cause itching, or produce no discomfort at all. They may feel rubbery or firm and can be either pliable or rigid. Size can range from pea-like to much larger. Swollen lymph nodes may also be red and feel warm when touched.
What Swollen Lymph Nodes Feel Like
Depending on the cause, swollenlymph nodesmay feel painful, cause itching, or produce no discomfort at all. They may feel rubbery or firm and can be either pliable or rigid. Size can range from pea-like to much larger. Swollen lymph nodes may also be red and feel warm when touched.
German measles, also known as rubella, can cause these lymph nodes to swell.
In some cases, infected skin can lead to a growth called anabscess, which looks like a large pimple.
Mastoiditis, a bacterial infection affecting the mastoid bone behind the ear, can also cause a lump. This condition usually results from an untreated middle ear infection that spreads to the mastoid bone. Other symptoms of mastoiditis include:
Treatment for seriousviral infectionsincludes managing symptoms while you heal and, in some cases, antiviral drugs.
Serious bacterial infections are typically treated with intravenous antibiotics. Some infections may require drainage,debridement, or other types of surgery.
Acneis a common skin condition that produces pimples, often due tohormonal changes. Acne can appear in manyparts of the body, but the face is the most common site. Pimples can also develop behind the ears.
Over-the-counter (OTC) acne creams and face washes can help treat mild acne. Acne treatment may require prescription-strength medication. When a pimple becomes seriously infected (as with cystic acne or acne nodules), a steroid injection, drainage, or extraction may be required.
Lipomasare soft, doughy/rubbery moveable fatty lumps under the skin. They typically occur in the upper part of the body where there is a lot of fatty tissue, such as on the head and neck (including behind the ears), shoulders, chest, and back.
Lipomas are mostly harmless but can cause discomfort. You usually do not need to treat a lipoma unless it is bothering you. In this case, you can have it removed or diminished.
Cystsare made up of dead skin cells and oils. They will feel soft to the touch and often go away on their own.
Eyeglass framesthat don’t fit well may irritate the skin and lead to cysts or other lumps. One type of nodule (acanthoma fissuratum), can affect the nose and ears due to persistent irritation. See your healthcare provider about these lumps to rule outskin cancer.
Cysts are not usually painful unless they become infected. If this happens, antibiotics may be necessary. If a cyst causes discomfort or is likely to cause problems because of where it is located, it might need to be removed.
Non-Cancerous Tumors
A lump behind the ear could be a benign (non-cancerous) tumor, as with rare, usuallyasymptomaticmastoid osteomas.Most ear tumors are benign and don’t require treatment.
If your healthcare provider wants to rule out cancer, they will usually perform abiopsyof the lump behind your ear. This procedure involves removing a sample of tissue to examine it more closely.
If hearing or balance is affected, or the tumor causes pain or aesthetic concerns, surgical removal may be necessary.
Cancerous lumps have several characteristics that make them different from far more common, harmless tumors. Malignant lumps are more likely to:
Ear cancercan be a cause of a lump behind the ear, but it is a rare type of cancer.
Cancer treatmenttypically involves one or more of three options: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Pain and discomfort do not necessarily indicate a cancerous tumor. Some lumps that are harmless can hurt, while some malignant lumps do not cause pain.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
While most lumps are not serious, you should consult a healthcare provider if the lump behind your ear occurs suddenly, causes pain, or is associated with other symptoms.
Sometimes, the lump behind your ear will be a swollen lymph node. If this is the case, you should see a healthcare provider if:
Your healthcare provider will perform a physical examination and take a medical history to figure out the cause of your lump.
If you have a lump behind your ear with other symptoms, your healthcare provider may want to complete other tests such as:
Summary
A lump behind the ear can have multiple causes. Most of the time, the cause is not serious and will get better on its own or with minimal treatment.
In rare cases, tumors can form behind the ear and require complex treatment. If you have a lump behind your ear with other symptoms, particularly if it shows up suddenly, it’s important to consult your healthcare provider.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Singh RK, Goyal A, Kumar A, Kataria G, Kesarwani A.Mastoid osteoma of temporal bone - A rare case report.J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 Jun;11(6):MD01-MD02. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/24897.9966Rani P, Singh M, Mehrol C, Gupta AJ, Khurana N, Meher R.Dedifferentiation of oncocytic epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma to mucoepidermoid carcinoma in parotid gland: A rare case report.Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2018 Oct-Dec;61(4):564-566. doi:10.4103/IJPM.IJPM_64_17Mount Sinai.Swollen lymph nodes.Ide S, Ishikane M, Ohmagari N.Posterior auricular lymphadenopathy in adult rubella.IDCases. 2021;24:e01093. doi:10.1016%2Fj.idcr.2021.e01093Michigan Medicine.Swollen Glands, Hernias, and Other Lumps Under the Skin.MedlinePlus.Mastoiditis.Penn Medicine.Mastoiditis.MedlinePlus.Acne.Durairaj A, Elumalai K, Shanmugam A.Cystic acne treatment: A comprehensive review.Medicine Advances, 2023, 1(4): 318-329. https://doi.org/10.1002/med4.43Cancer Research UK.Lipoma.Ramroop S.Successful treatment of acanthoma fissuratum with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide.Clin Case Rep. 2020 Feb 5;8(4):702-703. doi:10.1002/ccr3.2708MedlinePlus.Benign ear cyst or tumor.Borissova IB, Venturin JS, Claro-Woodruff WI, Shintaku WH.Mastoid osteoma: A rare incidental finding in an orthodontic patient.Imaging Sci Dent. 2020;50(4):347-351. doi:10.5624/isd.2020.50.4.347American Cancer Society.What Is Cancer?
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Singh RK, Goyal A, Kumar A, Kataria G, Kesarwani A.Mastoid osteoma of temporal bone - A rare case report.J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 Jun;11(6):MD01-MD02. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/24897.9966Rani P, Singh M, Mehrol C, Gupta AJ, Khurana N, Meher R.Dedifferentiation of oncocytic epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma to mucoepidermoid carcinoma in parotid gland: A rare case report.Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2018 Oct-Dec;61(4):564-566. doi:10.4103/IJPM.IJPM_64_17Mount Sinai.Swollen lymph nodes.Ide S, Ishikane M, Ohmagari N.Posterior auricular lymphadenopathy in adult rubella.IDCases. 2021;24:e01093. doi:10.1016%2Fj.idcr.2021.e01093Michigan Medicine.Swollen Glands, Hernias, and Other Lumps Under the Skin.MedlinePlus.Mastoiditis.Penn Medicine.Mastoiditis.MedlinePlus.Acne.Durairaj A, Elumalai K, Shanmugam A.Cystic acne treatment: A comprehensive review.Medicine Advances, 2023, 1(4): 318-329. https://doi.org/10.1002/med4.43Cancer Research UK.Lipoma.Ramroop S.Successful treatment of acanthoma fissuratum with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide.Clin Case Rep. 2020 Feb 5;8(4):702-703. doi:10.1002/ccr3.2708MedlinePlus.Benign ear cyst or tumor.Borissova IB, Venturin JS, Claro-Woodruff WI, Shintaku WH.Mastoid osteoma: A rare incidental finding in an orthodontic patient.Imaging Sci Dent. 2020;50(4):347-351. doi:10.5624/isd.2020.50.4.347American Cancer Society.What Is Cancer?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Singh RK, Goyal A, Kumar A, Kataria G, Kesarwani A.Mastoid osteoma of temporal bone - A rare case report.J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 Jun;11(6):MD01-MD02. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/24897.9966Rani P, Singh M, Mehrol C, Gupta AJ, Khurana N, Meher R.Dedifferentiation of oncocytic epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma to mucoepidermoid carcinoma in parotid gland: A rare case report.Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2018 Oct-Dec;61(4):564-566. doi:10.4103/IJPM.IJPM_64_17Mount Sinai.Swollen lymph nodes.Ide S, Ishikane M, Ohmagari N.Posterior auricular lymphadenopathy in adult rubella.IDCases. 2021;24:e01093. doi:10.1016%2Fj.idcr.2021.e01093Michigan Medicine.Swollen Glands, Hernias, and Other Lumps Under the Skin.MedlinePlus.Mastoiditis.Penn Medicine.Mastoiditis.MedlinePlus.Acne.Durairaj A, Elumalai K, Shanmugam A.Cystic acne treatment: A comprehensive review.Medicine Advances, 2023, 1(4): 318-329. https://doi.org/10.1002/med4.43Cancer Research UK.Lipoma.Ramroop S.Successful treatment of acanthoma fissuratum with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide.Clin Case Rep. 2020 Feb 5;8(4):702-703. doi:10.1002/ccr3.2708MedlinePlus.Benign ear cyst or tumor.Borissova IB, Venturin JS, Claro-Woodruff WI, Shintaku WH.Mastoid osteoma: A rare incidental finding in an orthodontic patient.Imaging Sci Dent. 2020;50(4):347-351. doi:10.5624/isd.2020.50.4.347American Cancer Society.What Is Cancer?
Singh RK, Goyal A, Kumar A, Kataria G, Kesarwani A.Mastoid osteoma of temporal bone - A rare case report.J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 Jun;11(6):MD01-MD02. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/24897.9966
Rani P, Singh M, Mehrol C, Gupta AJ, Khurana N, Meher R.Dedifferentiation of oncocytic epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma to mucoepidermoid carcinoma in parotid gland: A rare case report.Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2018 Oct-Dec;61(4):564-566. doi:10.4103/IJPM.IJPM_64_17
Mount Sinai.Swollen lymph nodes.
Ide S, Ishikane M, Ohmagari N.Posterior auricular lymphadenopathy in adult rubella.IDCases. 2021;24:e01093. doi:10.1016%2Fj.idcr.2021.e01093
Michigan Medicine.Swollen Glands, Hernias, and Other Lumps Under the Skin.
MedlinePlus.Mastoiditis.
Penn Medicine.Mastoiditis.
MedlinePlus.Acne.
Durairaj A, Elumalai K, Shanmugam A.Cystic acne treatment: A comprehensive review.Medicine Advances, 2023, 1(4): 318-329. https://doi.org/10.1002/med4.43
Cancer Research UK.Lipoma.
Ramroop S.Successful treatment of acanthoma fissuratum with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide.Clin Case Rep. 2020 Feb 5;8(4):702-703. doi:10.1002/ccr3.2708
MedlinePlus.Benign ear cyst or tumor.
Borissova IB, Venturin JS, Claro-Woodruff WI, Shintaku WH.Mastoid osteoma: A rare incidental finding in an orthodontic patient.Imaging Sci Dent. 2020;50(4):347-351. doi:10.5624/isd.2020.50.4.347
American Cancer Society.What Is Cancer?
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