Left Side of Neck

[LaxFan16]

Hi there,

I recently had a lymph node on the left side of my neck that lasted three months and is now going away. However, the entire side of my neck now feels hard as a rock. Why would that happen?

[LaxFan16]

It was a round circular bump. Not big but noticeable, sometimes viable but hasn't been visible for a week and a half now. The whole side seems to swell on and off now too along with the bump, but the bump is MUCH smaller and comes back less and less.

The left side of the neck swells out from time to time all the way to the left-back side of the neck. It can be very painful at times and other times just stiff.The swelling is worst around where the bump is though.

My thyroid blood work came back normal along with normal CBC but also getting an ultra sound. Doctor says he thinks I have extra muscle tissue on that side and since I get stressed it is making the muscle tense up and get hard but I am still nervous.

[Mochadelicious]

I'm a little confused.  Do you actually feel a circular or bean shaped lump come and go or is it the whole side of your neck that seems to swell off and on?  Or both?

[LaxFan16]

Well the doctor doesn't think it's a node. He thinks the side of my neck just has a lot of muscle tissue but I swear it feels swollen.

[Mochadelicious]

Now that is different.  It sounds like your lymph node is waxing and waning, which can be associated with a low grade B cell lymphoma (not saying that is true in all cases though).  Are you experiencing any tenderness with the node?  The reason I ask is tenderness tends to be associated more with an infection rather than lymphoma.

Because you have had this for 3 months (which is quite long to have a swollen node), it wouldn't hurt to inquire with your doctor about a biopsy.  

[LaxFan16]

What if it shrinks but still comes and goes? Right now it's there but feels very deep and I have to search to find it. Other days it's visable.

[Mochadelicious]

Blood tests are used more as a tool for narrowing down a diagnosis but are not actually diagnostic.  You can have Lymphoma and still have the blood tests come back normal.  The only true diagnostic test you can do is a biopsy of the node, but if you have no other symptoms that point to lymphoma then doctors usually won't recommend it.  Its expensive and too invasive, and because your node is shrinking then it's most definately not malignant.

[LaxFan16]

I had a blood test come back normal for CBC. Am I in the clear?

[Ken_PA]

It doesn't seem like lymphoma because the node is going away. Cancer won't do that, but immune system conditions can do that.

Yes, it is probable that all of your symptoms are related, including the arm.


But btw, a person can have lymphoma and not have any of the typical symptoms, especially at first.

[LaxFan16]

Here is where I am at.

I have an enlarged thyroid and a large lymph node on the left side of my neck. That entire side feels swollen and hard.

Got blood test yesterday. Results soon.

Does this sound like lymphoma? No other symptoms other than occasional wariness but no night sweats etc.

[Mochadelicious]

Perhaps the swollen lymph node was pressing against a nerve in your neck that runs down into your arm.  I'm assuming that the pain is going away now that the lymph node swelling is going down?

[LaxFan16]

Thanks- I have also had pain in my left arm for as long as the lymph node was there (three months), any relation?

[Ken_PA]

Hi, probably the cause is the same as when a lymph node gets hard: the immune system builds up scar tissue there. Maybe something similar to scleroderma in your case.