Bump behind ear

[nickppatel]

Hi guys,

I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this ... I have a small bump behind my right ear, and I can't figure out what it is. Some characteristics:

1) It's tender and movable
2) It keeps changing size ... one day it's tiny, the next it's huge, then small again
3) I had some skin irritation on my earlobe, but that's been gone for awhile.

Doc said to just keep an eye on it, but I'm wondering what it could be ... cyst? Swollen lymph nodes? Skin blemish/zit?

[Carol A]

Depending on where the bump is - it might be a swollen lymph node.  You probably should get this checked by your doctor though.  

Carol

[DebM412]

A lymph node behind the ear can take 6 months to go back down to normal and longer if you keep touching it. Every time you touch a lymph node you are aggrevating it therefore keeping it in an enlarged state. The nodes behind the ear will take on any foreign matters that have to do with your ears, colds, etc. I would not stress anout this but would try to refrain from touching it and give it a good month. Then lightly touch it to see if it has decreased in size. If it is smaller it is doing its job and going back down in size.
Hope this helps.

Debbie

[Enoch Choi]

Sounds like a swollen lymph node.  Ones that stay swollen for more than 2 weeks are ones physicians want patients to come in and get evaluated for.

Enoch Choi,MD

[nickppatel]

Thanks to all. Debbie, I think you're on the money. I left it completely alone this morning and just checked it now - very gently - to see how it was, and it feels like it's already getting smaller. I just need to stop aggravating it.

My GP thinks it's either a cyst or a lymph node. I have an appt with an ENT on Thursday to get it checked out.

Thanks!

[Enoch Choi]

It's thursday, how'd the ENT visit go?

Enoch Choi, MD

[Enoch Choi]

We're all ears ;)

[Rosie1208]

I have one similar to nickpatel, and it's kind of scaring me. I have a lump behind my right ear that is rather larger than the normal one I have behind the left. I have been felling dizzy for about a week, and my balance is off. What should I do.  rosie

[Dulce_Suena]

I have a horror story about lumps behind ears. My son who is now almost 2 years old at about 5 months old had a small almond sized lump behind his right ear. The day that we noticed it 6/2/2006 we took him to the pediatric urgent care facility at our hospital where the on call doctor informed us that it was juat a swollen lymph node and take these antibiotics and it will go away. 10 days later having given him all the antibiotics the lump was now the size of a walnut. We then took him back to the urgent care where the on call doctor told us that it was a cyst and reffered us to ENT. The following day at the ENT doctor visit we were told that the doctor was not sure if it was a cyst or a lymph node but he wanted to do all kids of blood work to rul out other possibilities. We took the baby for all blood work and waited to hear. A few days later after not hearing anything I called the doctor and was told he was now on vacation for 10 days and that I would have to wait until he got back. Needless to say I was upset and was definitley not waiting another 10 days. I finally got in contact with someone at the hospital who told me that all blood work came back negative and that the next step would be a cat scan. Finally on July 12th the cat scan was done. Here we ago again with the waiting for results. A few days go by and I get a call from the doctor stating that the lump was neither a cyst nor a lymph node but was indeed a solid mass and therefore a tumor. All the while this thing on my childs head is getting bigger and bigger it seems by the day. FINALLY on July 27th he had surgery to biopsy the tumor. By the time this was done the tumor which started out almond size was now the size of a golfball. When the pathology results came in the diagnosed my sone with Rabdomyosarcoma (I know is mispelled that) and that he needed to see the Oncologist right away because this was a very lethal form of cancer. Needless to say I freaked out and went to see the oncologist where he informed me that my baby would have to have Chemo right away and to prepare myself because babies do not do well on Chemo and that they would practically have to kill him in order to kill the cancer. Again, I freaked out! A friend of mine called and gave me a number to the Cancer Legal Resource center and told me to call. I did and was told to definitely get a second opinion. I asked the doctor for a second opinion and the tissue samples were sent to USC medical center and to the top pathologist and it came back that the tumor was cancer but was a much lower malignancy rate then the previously diagnosed and that my son would not need chemo. We were very relieved! Now, he is almost 2 and has been very healthy ever since but the tumor has grown back recently and we are again facing surgery. I didn't want to scare anyone just to make sure that people know doctors can be very wrong and a small lump could mean something else.
Thanks for reading!

[Enoch Choi, MD]

I'm so sorry for your son's Rhabdomyosarcoma, that's awful...

YEs, lumps can be cancer

That's why it's important to get checked by your doctor

[KatieParker]

Hi All,
I am a 23 year old female and about 3 months ago I found a hard, immovable lump behind my right ear. There is one behind my left ear too but it is much smaller. I went to my Dr and he said it was just part of my normal anatomy. I wasn't convinced. I went to see another Dr who said the same but done a blood test anyway. The results came back clear. I was still really worried about this lump so I went to see yet another Dr who said it was probably a Lipoma and he is now referring me to the ENT department. Does anyone else have any idea what this could be? As I said it has been about 3 months now and I am really worried.
Thanks.

[cwynn13]

hi i am 13 years old and i have a smaller lump on my left ear i am almost positive it is not a pimple does anybody have any thoughts

thank you

[peg246]

i had a pea size lump that was hard had to have my perodid gland removed can  become cancerous.  have it checked

[pswilliams]

I just noticed a little bump behind my left ear today and I've been making myself worry because of the fact that about a couple weeks ago I had a six day migraine(never had one last over 24 hours before that), and it alo seems like my ear has been ringing ever since... I don't know if all of that is connected or not, but since it has all been happening around the same time, it makes me worried....should I be? Should I see my doctor?!?

[DaNs_VsK]

Well I'm 14 and about a year ago I noticed two small 2cm bumps behind my left ear directly on the bone  they are movable and I'm kind of worry I meet see my doctor later this week .... Should I be worried???

[freakazoid]

HI,
I Have a tiny hard bump behind my left ear directly on the bone and also a new lump that is tender (feels like swollen lymph node) and feels like a bruise when I rub and also like a nagging headache bruise.
Now I don't have a headache, this all started with a sudden headache after dinner and on 'til the next day... completely throbbing...
I did not drink coffee for 24 hrs. and thought that was the reason, but now the bumps and lumps...
has anyone experienced this? I can feel it as I type.

[hannah205]

AAAHH
Well  about a month ago i was in the hottub when I noticed a marble sized bump behind my ear. it freaked me out a little but we all made lite of it and i hadnt been thinking about it until today when i was getting on the bus i discovered that the whole area was getting much much larger and there was a second lump. the whole are now seems to be the size of a small golf ball, is a little sensetive to the touch,  hard and just the tiniest bit moveable. any thoughts?

[2mommy]

I found a lump behind my left ear a few months ago. Went to the doctor & saw the PA.  He waved it off as a cyst and almost laughed at me for coming in to have it looked at.  When I went back to my primary doctor I requested the actual DOCTOR and asked him about it before the end of the appointment.  He stated it was mostly likely a cyst and if I wanted he would order a Ultrasound of the neck with attention brought to the left ear.  One day after the ultrasound I received a call from my doctor's office and was informed that the ultrasound was consistent with an enlarged lymph node and I was referred to an ENT.  I go Monday 1/19 to see the ENT but in the mean time after all this waiting the lump has gotten bigger  and is approx. 1.59cm across ad 1.26 cm down.  I am nervous but optimistic and will keep u informed. Thanks to all who read this.  

[Aepee]

Please help me. I am also currently experiencing all these feelings. I noticed that there is a bump behind my left ear and I'm so nervous. I am 15 years old and I am very worried about this.

[clevo]

hi everyone im 15 and i just recently noticed a lump behind my right ear. its extremely sensitive to touch and its pretty hard. theres a smaller one right behind it. i got my ears peirced not that long ago and my right ear is invected. could that have something to do with it? i took the earing out but the lump hasnt gone away. im getting worried. should i see my doctor? i need help!
thanks

[shamz23]

hi, i have a small lump under the skin behind my left ear, it changes shape every so often and now there is another smaller one further up, it doesnt hurt and i cant feel it. its near a birth mark, should i be worrried?

[buskin]

to everyone who's freaking out about the lumps: lymph nodes are a normal part of the human immune systems. they exist pretty much everywhere around our bodies. whenever our bodies are fighting off an infection of some kind (skin, or from piercings, or cold or any other infection), they react by enlarging - hence, the lumps. they're kind of like filters in the body for all the bacterias, viruses, etc. if after a couple of weeks they do not disappear, then go see a doctor.  

[stellamaris2009]

Ok, I am a 33year old female, diagnosed with CIN II  and HPV 16 seven years ago and diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis 5 years ago. I have 3 children 7 yrs, 5 yrs and 3 months old. about three years ago, the back of my earring pierced into the back of my ear but it did not bleed or was there any cut. After that day, anytime I touch the area, it hurts me. It went on for about 2 years and during the 2 year period,  an ultrasound was done on that area and nothing was found. exactly a year ago, November, 2008 to be precise, I felt a very tiny bump in the area and it only hurts when I touch it with pressure. after about 5 months, I went to the doctor to have it checked and an ultrasound was done, at this point I was 4 months pregnant. The radiologist interpreted the results as anechoic small cyst measuring about 8mm x 4mm. and asked that I came back after 2 months for another ultrasound. the second ultrasound showed that the cyst had increased in size measuring about 6mm x 11mm, and then a third ultrasound was done in august and the result came back as a sebaceous/ epidermoid cyst measuring about 14mm x 8mm, continue to monitor. My doctor told me the cyst is in a very dangerous part of the neck and with the jugular vein and carotid artery and some vital nerves, and so will not advice an excision of the cyst. I got frustrated and decided to try another doctor for a second opinion and the first thing the doctor did was to order for a bloodwork and put me on keflex. she said it was an enlarged lymphnode. I completed the dose of keflex about two weeks ago and the lump is still there.(right between my TMJ and my neck, just below my mastoid bone. I feel the lump better when I raise my head up.)she ordered an ultrasound which came back as a lymph node and recommended a CT scan. My blood work showed nothing. Now I really dont want to do the CT scan as I am aware it is not very safe. I asked my doctor for an MRI instead but she refused. I am really confused as this is really bothering me and affecting my activities of daily living. I was reading something on the internet and someone wrote that she had something similar but hers was really painful and it was for 1 month and she was later on diagnosed with cancer of the base of the tongue due to HPV. I am not sure if this makes sense, but will really appreciate a good explanation of what is going on with me and a good advice on how to address the problem