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What Causes A Lump Below The Shoulder Blade?
Posted on
Thu, 8 Sep 2016
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Thu, 8 Sep 2016
Answered on
Thu, 6 Oct 2016
Last reviewed on
Question : a lump on my spine about 3 inches below shoulder blades. Discovered when I was getting a massage. My therepist told me it ws not normal. It hurts when pressure is applied to it. Wht do I do? what could it be? What type of doctor should I consult
Brief Answer:
As detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query.
To recapitulate: Female/23 - lump on spine - 3'' below shoulder blades - incidentally found while getting massage - tender - wants to know what to do - what could it be - what type of Doctor to see.
as per the history you have provided,, the commonest causes of lump as described by you are due to:
- Sebaceous cyst: There will be a black dot called a punctum with which the sebaceous cyst is attached to the skin, hence the movement under the skin is bit restricted. It becomes painful if inflamed/infected.
- Lipoma: Usually not painful, moves freely under the skin.
I would advise you the following, also answering your queries on the way:
- Consult a General Surgeon for clinical evaluation, examination, to have clinical diagnosis and to be confirmed by removal under local anesthesia.
- Removal of the lump.
- Send the samples for histopathology.
This will help in the following way.
You get rid of the lump which is not a normal part of the body
You get confirmed diagnosis by histo-pathology report.
Please do not try anything at home.
I hope this answer helps yo, please feel free to ask for further relevant queries if you feel that there is a gap of communication.
As detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query.
To recapitulate: Female/23 - lump on spine - 3'' below shoulder blades - incidentally found while getting massage - tender - wants to know what to do - what could it be - what type of Doctor to see.
as per the history you have provided,, the commonest causes of lump as described by you are due to:
- Sebaceous cyst: There will be a black dot called a punctum with which the sebaceous cyst is attached to the skin, hence the movement under the skin is bit restricted. It becomes painful if inflamed/infected.
- Lipoma: Usually not painful, moves freely under the skin.
I would advise you the following, also answering your queries on the way:
- Consult a General Surgeon for clinical evaluation, examination, to have clinical diagnosis and to be confirmed by removal under local anesthesia.
- Removal of the lump.
- Send the samples for histopathology.
This will help in the following way.
You get rid of the lump which is not a normal part of the body
You get confirmed diagnosis by histo-pathology report.
Please do not try anything at home.
I hope this answer helps yo, please feel free to ask for further relevant queries if you feel that there is a gap of communication.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you. Is this urgent or can it wait for a few months?
Brief Answer:
As detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
This may not be urgent.
You can wait for few months.
But it is better to get a confirmed clinical diagnosis by showing this to Your Doctor/ General Surgeon/ Dermatologist as the system may be in your area as per the guidance of your PCP or Family Physician. If it is innocuous you can then certainly wait.
As detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
This may not be urgent.
You can wait for few months.
But it is better to get a confirmed clinical diagnosis by showing this to Your Doctor/ General Surgeon/ Dermatologist as the system may be in your area as per the guidance of your PCP or Family Physician. If it is innocuous you can then certainly wait.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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