Thanks flipper, I've got something similar on my back that hasn't gone away, it s a boil. The lump behind my ear could be either. I do get the odd spot that doesn't come to a head as such, that show up from time to time. I just wish I'd got it looked at properly straight away as the to doctors were just quite vague about it, not much help to me!
Blue,
I can tell you that it is not a cyst. A cyst does not go down as you put it on it's own. They have to be "drained" by a doctor or surgically removed. If it is going down on it's own, I would not worry about it.
By the time i'd gone to the third it had gone down, so he sort of left me saying it could have been either..
The first was actually a pharmacist that said it was a cyst, although a highly trusted one that has been there for years and no doubt seen many people. Second was a triage nurse that said it was a node.
The doctors here are so rushed, they just don't seem to care
Has your lump gone now?
It sounds like you had or still have a boil. They will eventually go, or may fill up with puss and come to form a head for rubbish to come out.
An antiseptic or antibacterial cream will help
It could be either a lymph node or cyst. The key is to watch it. More than likely it will go away.
Blue, you can check out the following site if you have not done so already.
http://www.medicinenet.com/swollen_lymph_nodes/page4.htm
I am surprised the doctor did not tell you what it is. From my understanding a swollen lymph node is normally caused by some type of infection, which should be able to be detected by a blood test. As for a cyst, I'm surprised the doctor could not just insert a syringe into the "lump" and see what it is filled with.