Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesWhen to WorryScreening
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
When to Worry
Screening
Unexplained bumps and lumps can appear on different parts of your body. If the lump is soft and rolls easily under your fingers, it is probably benign. Still, you should see a healthcare provider any time you notice an unexplained growth or unusual swelling.
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Common Types of Lumps Under Skin
There are many types of skin lumps, and they can have different causes. Most lumps are benign (not cancerous). Malignant (cancerous) lumps have certain characteristics that can help you know whether you should worry.
Cysts
Acystis a sac that may contain fluid, air, tissue, or another material. It can form when normal skin cellular turnover is disturbed. Most of the time, cysts are not cancerous.
There are hundreds of different types of cysts.Some common ones include:
Lipomas
Lipomasare benign growths that are made up of fat tissue. Lipomas are soft, small, and rubbery lumps located just beneath the skin. Most appear on the shoulders,upper back, arms, buttocks, and upper thighs.
They typically don’t cause pain and may move if you push on them gently. Lipomas don’t require treatment unless they cause discomfort or are unsightly.
Cause of LipomasThe exact cause of lipomas isn’t known, but some research shows genetics may play a role.
Cause of Lipomas
The exact cause of lipomas isn’t known, but some research shows genetics may play a role.
Dermatofibromas
Adermatofibromais a small, round, noncancerous bump. It is usually pink, reddish, or brown.Typically, dermatofibromas can be left alone, but surgery is an option for some people.
Swollen Lymph Nodes
If alymph node is swollen, it can cause what looks like a bump under the skin. These bean-shaped lumps may be painful and feel hard.
Lymph nodesare organs in thelymphatic system. They house immune cells and serve to filter foreign particles from body fluids. They can enlarge and swell as part of the body’s response to a bacterial or viral infection. Less commonly, lymph node swelling can be a sign of cancer or another serious condition.
You may be able to feel lymph nodes in some regions of your body, including the following:
Moles
Molesare common skin growths that develop when skin cells grow in a cluster. Most adults have 20 to 40 moles.They range in color from flesh-toned to dark brown. Moles are usually harmless, but some can becancerous. Have a healthcare provider look at any mole that seems suspicious, especially if it grows or changes in appearance.
Warts
Boils and Abscesses
A boil is more superficial and can appear anywhere on the body, but commonly affects the neck, face, armpits, buttocks, and thighs. An abscess may be deeper, and the skin over it appears red, raised, and swollen.
You might also be able to see yellow or white in the lump due to the pus underneath the surface of your skin. Some people also experience fever and chills with an abscess.
Often, a boil or abscess will break and drain on its own. But sometimes, a healthcare provider must intervene and drain the pus.
Hands OffDon’t try to pick or pop a boil, abscess, or other lump. This can lead to an infection or cause the lump to grow in size.
Hands Off
Don’t try to pick or pop a boil, abscess, or other lump. This can lead to an infection or cause the lump to grow in size.
Hernias
Aherniaoccurs when a body part bulges through the wall of muscle or tissue that usually holds it. Hernias can appear as a bulge or slightlump in the groinor abdomen and may cause pain.
Goiters
Agoiteris an enlarged thyroid that appears as a swollen lump in the front of the neck. The thyroid is a gland that makes hormones to help control many body functions.
Fibroadenomas
Fibroadenomasare benign breast tumors that are usually:
When touched, fibroadenomas usually move easily. Sometimes, no treatment is needed, but a surgeon may remove the noncancerous growth.
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoidsare swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum. If you have a hemorrhoid, you might feel a bulge or lump in these areas. You may also experience pain and swelling.
Cancer
In rare cases, a lump under the skin can becancerous. You may feel cancerous growths under the skin in the breast, testicles, neck, arms, or legs.
A type ofskin cancercalledsoft tissue sarcomacan cause a cancerous lump to form almost anywhere on the body.
When to Worry About a Lump Under the Skin
While it’s hard not to worry, you should know that most skin lumps aren’t cause for concern.
Here are some signs that a suspicious lump might be serious:
It’s always a good idea to see a healthcare provider any time you develop an unexplained lump on your skin. They can help determine whether it’s serious or harmless.
Finding Lumps Under the Skin
Skin lumps can form virtually anywhere on the body. It’s a good idea to perform frequent skin self-exams to look for new or unusual lesions.
How Lumps Are Diagnosed
If your healthcare provider thinks a lump under your skin is suspicious, they may order abiopsy. During a biopsy, a healthcare provider will take a small sample of skin and send it to a laboratory for analysis under a microscope.
Depending on where the lump is located, your healthcare provider may also recommend other diagnostic tests such as a pap test or an imaging scan.
Summary
Finding a lump under the skin is common and usually nothing to worry about. Lumps have different causes and can appear all over the body. Many benign lumps can be left alone without any treatment.
A bump rarely turns out to be cancerous or causes another serious condition. Knowing the signs of a potentially dangerous growth can help you distinguish between a normal and abnormal lesion.
See a healthcare provider about a new or suspicious-looking growth. If it is cancer, catching it early on can improve your chances for successful treatment and a good outcome.
12 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.Chughtai A, Hashim MMA, Saleem R, et al.Benign cutaneous cysts: a comprehensive analysis of 1160 cases.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45548. doi:10.7759/cureus.45548Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Cyst vs. tumor: what is the difference?American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Lipoma.Barisella M, Giannini L, Piazza C.From head and neck lipoma to liposarcoma: a wide spectrum of differential diagnoses and their therapeutic implications.Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020;28(2):136-143. doi:10.1097/MOO.0000000000000608Bandyopadhyay MR, Besra M, Dutta S, Sarkar S.Dermatofibroma: atypical presentations.Indian J Dermatol. 2016;61(1):121. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.174131Mount Sinai.Swollen lymph nodes.National Cancer Institute.Common moles, dysplastic nevi, and risk of melanoma.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.Overview: Warts.American Academy of Pediatrics.Boils, abscess, & cellulitis.Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Soft tissue sarcoma.Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.When should I worry about a lump under the skin?American Cancer Society.How to do a skin self-exam.
12 Sources
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.Chughtai A, Hashim MMA, Saleem R, et al.Benign cutaneous cysts: a comprehensive analysis of 1160 cases.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45548. doi:10.7759/cureus.45548Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Cyst vs. tumor: what is the difference?American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Lipoma.Barisella M, Giannini L, Piazza C.From head and neck lipoma to liposarcoma: a wide spectrum of differential diagnoses and their therapeutic implications.Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020;28(2):136-143. doi:10.1097/MOO.0000000000000608Bandyopadhyay MR, Besra M, Dutta S, Sarkar S.Dermatofibroma: atypical presentations.Indian J Dermatol. 2016;61(1):121. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.174131Mount Sinai.Swollen lymph nodes.National Cancer Institute.Common moles, dysplastic nevi, and risk of melanoma.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.Overview: Warts.American Academy of Pediatrics.Boils, abscess, & cellulitis.Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Soft tissue sarcoma.Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.When should I worry about a lump under the skin?American Cancer Society.How to do a skin self-exam.
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.
Chughtai A, Hashim MMA, Saleem R, et al.Benign cutaneous cysts: a comprehensive analysis of 1160 cases.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45548. doi:10.7759/cureus.45548Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Cyst vs. tumor: what is the difference?American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Lipoma.Barisella M, Giannini L, Piazza C.From head and neck lipoma to liposarcoma: a wide spectrum of differential diagnoses and their therapeutic implications.Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020;28(2):136-143. doi:10.1097/MOO.0000000000000608Bandyopadhyay MR, Besra M, Dutta S, Sarkar S.Dermatofibroma: atypical presentations.Indian J Dermatol. 2016;61(1):121. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.174131Mount Sinai.Swollen lymph nodes.National Cancer Institute.Common moles, dysplastic nevi, and risk of melanoma.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.Overview: Warts.American Academy of Pediatrics.Boils, abscess, & cellulitis.Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Soft tissue sarcoma.Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.When should I worry about a lump under the skin?American Cancer Society.How to do a skin self-exam.
Chughtai A, Hashim MMA, Saleem R, et al.Benign cutaneous cysts: a comprehensive analysis of 1160 cases.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45548. doi:10.7759/cureus.45548
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Cyst vs. tumor: what is the difference?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Lipoma.
Barisella M, Giannini L, Piazza C.From head and neck lipoma to liposarcoma: a wide spectrum of differential diagnoses and their therapeutic implications.Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020;28(2):136-143. doi:10.1097/MOO.0000000000000608
Bandyopadhyay MR, Besra M, Dutta S, Sarkar S.Dermatofibroma: atypical presentations.Indian J Dermatol. 2016;61(1):121. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.174131
Mount Sinai.Swollen lymph nodes.
National Cancer Institute.Common moles, dysplastic nevi, and risk of melanoma.
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.Overview: Warts.
American Academy of Pediatrics.Boils, abscess, & cellulitis.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Soft tissue sarcoma.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.When should I worry about a lump under the skin?
American Cancer Society.How to do a skin self-exam.
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