Neck lumps may be noticed by yourself, either felt or from looking at the mirror. Occasionally it may be noticed by someone else and brought to your attention. The common causes of neck lumps include growths arising from the thyroid gland, lymph node swellings and benign lumps that may also occur elsewhere in the body (e.g. lipoma and sebaceous cysts). Uncommon causes include carotid body tumour, branchial cyst, pharyngeal pouch, and cystic hygroma – these are all medical conditions. They are not common. Your doctor will explain these conditions to you should you be diagnosed with it.
You should have the lump assessed by a doctor to determine its nature, especially if the lump is persistent, growing in size, or associated with symptoms arising from the nose or mouth. One of the possibilities is a lymph node swelling. A lymph node may swell up if there is an infection in the vicinity, such as in the skin of the face or scalp, or in the mouth. In such cases, the lymph node may be tender to touch. A lymph node may also swell up due to cancer spread to it. Such lymph nodes tend to be painless and hard.
As such, it is best to seek medical attention if the neck lump does not disappear in one week or two.
The doctor will take a detailed history from you followed by a physical examination of the lump. The doctor may also examine your oral cavity as well as the scalp, depending on what he thinks the lump is.
Sometimes he will order a scan, especially if he suspects the lump to be arising from the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ situated in front of your throat. The thyroid gland’s function is to produce a hormone called the thyroid hormone. Normally, the thyroid gland is not visible.
There may be situations where a scope of the nose as well as the throat (nasoendoscopy) is done to ensure that there is no abnormal growth there. The doctor may advise this if the person also complains of nose bleed, or hearing loss from one ear, or persistent hoarseness of voice.
The treatment will depend on the nature of the lump. If it is a thyroid nodule, further investigations such as blood test, an ultrasound, or even a biopsy may be performed. If deemed to be an enlarged lymph node from an infection around the oral and nasal cavity, a course of antibiotics may be prescribed. If a cancerous lymph node is suspected, further investigations including a biopsy may be performed.
Colorectal & General Surgeon
Upper Gastrointestinal, Bariatric & General Surgeon
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Our clinics will be closed from 16 – 18 Feb for CNY
Our clinic at Mt Alvernia Medical Centre A will be relocating from #06-05 to #03-03 (within the same building) on Friday, 26 Sep afternoon.
Our telephone line 6353 4855 will be temporarily unavailable from 12:00pm – 6:00pm on 26 September. During this period, you may reach out to our other clinics for assistance:
We will begin operations at our new premises (#03-03) from Tuesday, 30 Sep onwards.
We look forward to serving you at our new clinic!
Nexus Surgical clinics at Mt Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, Gleneagles Medical Centre, Parkway East Medical Centre and Mt Alvernia Medical Centre will be closed on 28 January 2025 for Lunar New Year celebrations, while our clinic at Mt Elizabeth Orchard Medical Centre remains open from 0900-1300 hours on 28 January 2025.
Please leave a message in our voice mails and we will respond to you as soon as we can when we resume our clinics on 31 January 2025. If you require any urgent assistance, kindly go to the Urgent Care Centre of any hospitals or contact your doctor through the Emergency Answering Service. Our team at Nexus Surgical would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a Happy & Prosperous Lunar New Year with good health in the Year of the Snake!
Nexus Surgical will be away from 17 to 20 October 2024 for our Annual Company Retreat. The aim of our retreat is to review and to recharge, so that we may serve you better.
Our clinics at Mount Elizabeth Orchard, Mount Elizabeth Novena, Mount Alvernia and Parkway East hospitals will therefore be closed during this period. In the meantime, if you require any urgent assistance, kindly contact us through our Answering Service at +65 6333 5550.
We thank you for your understanding and patience for any inconvenience.
