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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Larger Size And Discoloration Of Left Armpit?

I noticed tonight that the muscle under my arm pit and down my left side is much larger then the right side almost 3 times In size. When I lift both arms over my head I noticed that the left arm becomes almost purple while the right side does nog change color.
posted on Tue, 21 Apr 2015
Twitter Tue, 12 May 2015 Answered on
Twitter Tue, 12 May 2015 Last reviewed on
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Dentist,  's  Response
Hi Dear,

Welcome to HCM team.

Understanding your concern.

The swelling and discoloration as you you mention in your query id due to a rare skin condition called hidradenitis suppurative ,which can be cause due to various factors like excess weight,smoking and hormonal changes . It mostly occur in area where skin rubs with itself .

If left untreated it sometimes leads to restriction of movement and pus drainage with foul smell.

If it doesn't go away in few days ,you should consult doctor .Doctor can prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection .corticosteroids to reduce swelling and medicines like remicade which are very effective in this case .Advance stages require surgical removal.

For now what you can do is clean that area properly ,apply warm compresses for 10 mins twice a day and start loosing weight (if you are overweight).

Hope your concern has been resolved.

Get Well Soon.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Harry Maheshwari
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What Causes Larger Size And Discoloration Of Left Armpit?

Hi Dear, Welcome to HCM team. Understanding your concern. The swelling and discoloration as you you mention in your query id due to a rare skin condition called hidradenitis suppurative ,which can be cause due to various factors like excess weight,smoking and hormonal changes . It mostly occur in area where skin rubs with itself . If left untreated it sometimes leads to restriction of movement and pus drainage with foul smell. If it doesn t go away in few days ,you should consult doctor .Doctor can prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection .corticosteroids to reduce swelling and medicines like remicade which are very effective in this case .Advance stages require surgical removal. For now what you can do is clean that area properly ,apply warm compresses for 10 mins twice a day and start loosing weight (if you are overweight). Hope your concern has been resolved. Get Well Soon. Best Wishes, Dr. Harry Maheshwari