2 Small Hard lumps under the skin in the Right Arm

[lammilammi]

Hi,
I am 30 year old female. I have 2 small (small pea size) lump (round shaped) in the right arm (middle area - below the area where generally doctors put injection, between elbow and arm). I got similar lump 1 year ago and one doctor suggested Ceftum 500. I took it nearing 5 days and i got cured.

But this time even after taking ceftum for 12 days i did not go. But the size got little reduced and it became flat shaped. Then i stopped the medicine. I consulted a doctor and after examination the doctor told me that i can ignore it and did not give any medicine. This is small hard lump and from outside nothing is visible. I can feel it only if you touch it otherwise it is not visible. Also if pressed hard it is painful.

I went for some scan that time i asked the scan doctor to check this lump also. The scan doctor told that it is superficial and not to worry much.

But i wanted to know what this lump all about as it is not going even after taking antibiotic.

Thanks in advance.

[mkh9]

Ok, glad it is not near the joint. I hope it doesn't recur again.
take care,
mkh9

[lammilammi]

Hi,
Thanks a lot for your reply. Just one correction. It is not near elbow joint. It might be 4 to 5 inch above the elbow joint. In the middle area of the arm.

Thank you. I was worried whether it could be very big issue.

[mkh9]

We are not doctors on here and can only advise. The doctors did a scan on it so that should have told them if it was still significant or not. But it is possible that it is getting resistant to the antibiotic or just coming back. Why they come back is due to various things such as, a break in the skin, shaving, insect bites, leaning on the elbow etc. When you heal from a wound it does sometimes hurts after and that may be all it is.

It can also be due to scarring. But it could still be possibly an abscess. I can only say if you don't trust your doctor to get another opinion and see what they say. If it was active I would think it would be growing and you would get a fever. Did you have a fever with this when you first got it? Was it ever swollen or red? Do you have diabetes? Or have you been around someone that has had an infection? These are some things to think about.

Well it is typical of a carbuncle or furuncle to be deep in the skin and not necessarily on the surface. They can sometimes be drained and you don't always have to have antibiotics. But since it was near the elbow joint they probably didn't want to do open the skin.
Hope this helps to understand what is going on.
mkh9

[lammilammi]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. But I have one query. Last time I got only one lump but this time it is two. Also though last time also I got the lump in the same right arm it was in different area of the arm. This time it has come in different area. When taking anti biotic continuously the size is getting little reduced but not great reduction or complete relief. But after stopping anti biotic it become little more prominent. If pressing it is painful. But from outside it is not visible. Only if touching I can feel the two hard small lumps.

Is this anything to worry as it came in different area and not going off and paining and also not visible from outside?

Thanks again and awaiting your response.

[mkh9]

It may have been a carbuncle or abscess before but it gone now and it may be some residual tissue or part of the wound left over, but hard to know for sure. I wouldn't worry about it. These things do sometimes come back. It may be a staph infection that recurs. Try not to lean on your elbows. Keep the area clean. It sounds like it has cleared up for now. So don't worry about it.
mkh9