posted
We found a lump on the back of Operaetta's neck this weekend. It's on one of the tendons, but doesn't seem to be attached. She has a dr.'s appointment this afternoon to check it out. I'm trying really really hard not to worry.
space opera
[ April 25, 2005, 02:44 PM: Message edited by: Space Opera ]
Posts: 2578 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Not being attached is a very good sign, too. And not having had unexplained weight loss or night sweats (drenching the sheets) would also be very good signs.
Some 9999 out of a 10,000, these turn out to just be lymph nodes. I especially start to worry if they are tightly matted down, but even then, it is usually nothing to worry about.
It could also be a cyst of some sort (ganglion cysts form on tendons, or it could be a sebaceous or pilonidal cyst). Getting it checked out is a good idea, but it is pretty easy to get reassurance, once someone checks her out.
posted
Yeah, burses can do funny things too. Could be a water cyst. Or even a strange zit! I’ll be praying it’s nothing bad for sure though. Good luck and don’t worry until ya need to.
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My apologies, Noemon. I was being lax about writing. I meant to be referring to possible causes for any lumps on a kid at that point, not just at the neck.
I think that pilonidal cysts are only described in the saccroilleal/coccyx area. IIRC, there is some debate about whether there is some embryological basis (migrating cells, kinked pores due to odd migration patterns) or whether it is just more likely there because of the nature of sagging tissue and waistline rubbing. I will look for an article for you.
quote: Congenital theories dominate in the first 70 years of the literature. These theories suggest that pilonidal sinuses are vestigial structures, cystic remnants of the medullary canal or the result of dermal inclusions caused by faulty development of the median coccygeal raphe.
It has since been established that pilonidal disease is an acquired condition involving midline pits in the natal cleft. ... The nature of these distorted hair follicles is unclear. It has been suggested that gravity and motion of the gluteal folds create a vacuum that pulls on the follicle. Bacteria and debris enter this sterile area, producing local inflammation. ...
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Theca, I think there can be lipomas in kids, but they become much more common as someone gets in the twenties and above. I think (IIRC) we worry more about breakthrough of the basement membrane (if you know what I mean) when there are lipomas in kids, as they are so much rarer.
posted
Hopefully it's something benign, like a fibroid. I freaked out when I had particularly bad back-pain and found one on my back near my spine, but it's nothing to be worried about.
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It was a lymph node. The dr. checked, and the rest of them on that side were swollen as well. The dr. believes that Operaetta has an infection of the scalp caused by a tick bite last week. The tick was attached, but not yet swollen, and we had found it on the same side of her head as the swollen lymph nodes. So, she's on antibiotics and has to return to see the doc again in 10 days. Thanks for the good thoughts and advice!
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I freaked out when I had particularly bad back-pain and found one on my back near my spine, but it's nothing to be worried about.
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