Very Hard Lump On The Right Side Of Head Below The Scalp. Told As Calcification. Do I Need To Seek Medical Attention?

Posted on Thu, 10 Oct 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 10 Oct 2013 Answered on

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I have a very hard lump/bump on the right side of my head just below the scalp for approx. 4-5 years. It may have gotten slightly bigger in the last few years. I have been told in the past it was calcification, and it was nothing to worry about. Every once in awhile a do get concerned about it. It has no color, no softness, no drainage or anything like that so I don't believe it's any kind of cyst. Any ideas what it may be or if I need to seek medical attention

Answered by Dr. Anjana Rao Kavoor (45 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Consult neurosurgeon and get CT scan done.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.

I have read through your query in detail.

From your query, if the scalp swelling is there for 4 or 5 years, it is a slow growing lump and most likely benign. However, you must get it evaluated completely by a doctor before jumping into conclusions. Though it seems harmless at the moment, I would suggest you to consult a neurosurgeon and get a CT scan done. Calcifications in the head are best studied by CT scan. If the exact diagnosis is still not clear, a MRI scan might be necessary.

There are many possibilities including cysts that are hardened and will not discharge. It could also be a slow growing bony lump. It can also have an attachment with the skull bone, this can be studied only with imaging investigations.

I hope this helps,
Any further queries are welcome.
Dr. A Rao Kavoor

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar