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Pregnant, Wondering About Lump In Armpit And Soreness. Cause?
Posted on
Mon, 30 Sep 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 30 Sep 2013
Answered on
Sat, 19 Oct 2013
Last reviewed on
Question : Wondering about lump in armpit. Have armpit soreness and am 39 weeks pregnant.
Brief Answer:
Accessory breast tissue, lymph node or abscess?
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.
I am so sorry to hear about this lump in your armpit.
From the information you have provided, this could most likely represent an accessory breast gland in the armpit. This normally grows with pregnancy and attains its maximum size just before delivery. If this is your first pregnancy, then this is a possibility. However, if this is not your first pregnancy, then this is highly unlikely because it is present from birth and nothing would justify why it wasn't present during the first pregnancy. This is often bilateral in most cases and rarely unilateral. Observation is the way forward and it generally resolves as the baby grows and breastfeeding subsides.
If you have any other symptoms like fever and severe pain, then this may represent an infection in the form of an abscess. This could also represent a swollen lymph node. A good questioning and a complete physical exam would provide a definite answer to this. I will suggest that you get an appointment with your OBGYN to get examined for the exact cause to be established and a solution proposed. If it is an abscess, then you would need antibiotics and pain medications for complete treatment and maybe an incision and drainage if it should get collected.
No matter the cause, this is most likely not life threatening and a definite solution to this can be obtained.
I wish you a safe delivery. I also wish you the very best and hope the cause and solution to this get figured out pretty soon. Please, feel free to ask me any clarifications if need be.
Once more, than you so much for using our services and hope we were of help to you today.
Dr. Ditah, MD
Accessory breast tissue, lymph node or abscess?
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.
I am so sorry to hear about this lump in your armpit.
From the information you have provided, this could most likely represent an accessory breast gland in the armpit. This normally grows with pregnancy and attains its maximum size just before delivery. If this is your first pregnancy, then this is a possibility. However, if this is not your first pregnancy, then this is highly unlikely because it is present from birth and nothing would justify why it wasn't present during the first pregnancy. This is often bilateral in most cases and rarely unilateral. Observation is the way forward and it generally resolves as the baby grows and breastfeeding subsides.
If you have any other symptoms like fever and severe pain, then this may represent an infection in the form of an abscess. This could also represent a swollen lymph node. A good questioning and a complete physical exam would provide a definite answer to this. I will suggest that you get an appointment with your OBGYN to get examined for the exact cause to be established and a solution proposed. If it is an abscess, then you would need antibiotics and pain medications for complete treatment and maybe an incision and drainage if it should get collected.
No matter the cause, this is most likely not life threatening and a definite solution to this can be obtained.
I wish you a safe delivery. I also wish you the very best and hope the cause and solution to this get figured out pretty soon. Please, feel free to ask me any clarifications if need be.
Once more, than you so much for using our services and hope we were of help to you today.
Dr. Ditah, MD
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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