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Original poster

pea sized lumps in neck

28 replies

mummyblueyes · 08/11/2007 17:04

My DD has these, especially one on the left side. It sticks out like a little pea, all the time.

It has been there for the past 2-3 years at least!!

I have told various GP's, health visitors etc and they all just say to keep an eye on it.

Eye on it for what? It doesn't change, it just sticks out!

Anyone else see this in their DC's?

OP posts:
NAB3littlemonkeys · 08/11/2007 17:05

Have you had it checked for lymphoma? It probably isn't if GPs aren't worried but I thought a lump in the neck was a sign of this.

Hope someone can come along with specialist knowledge.

Charlee · 08/11/2007 17:06

My DS was born with one but only one, my g.p says it is a gland or a cyst but to watch it for any signs of reddness or getting bigger and to take im back if any of thoses things should happen.

goingfor3 · 08/11/2007 17:06

DP has these, he was told what they are but can't remember. They are harmless though.

melsy · 08/11/2007 17:07

my dd2 , has one each of the right side of her hair line. Im wondering if they are just lymph nodes or glands , that just stick out. I know they are there , but dont seem to be a problem.

Original poster
mummyblueyes · 08/11/2007 17:07

Now that is scary! Would she have other symptoms by now though?

It is obviously a little gland.

She is almost 4 and it has been there at least since she was 1. She's the healthiest little thing though!

I am sure (well, I hope) the GP would have sent us for tests if he was concerned?

OP posts:
ShinyHappyRocketsGoingBANG · 08/11/2007 17:08

Yes lymph glands. When they are sticking out it shows that the body is busy fighting an infection. If they persist for weeks into months though they need checking out by GP. Rarely anything to worry about.. just the body doing its thing..

NAB3littlemonkeys · 08/11/2007 17:09

Oh heavens! I didn't want to scare you, and I am not a GP, but I always associated lumps in the neck with lymphoma or leukaemia. I am clearly wrong.

FioFio · 08/11/2007 17:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
mummyblueyes · 08/11/2007 17:11

Phew! I was worried then, just comforted by the fact that they have been there so long!

It is just the one you can see when she turns her neck. Other than that, you can feel them when you feel her neck.

OP posts:
lucyellensmum · 08/11/2007 17:13

NAB, sorry but that post was inappropriate and unecesarrily worrying.

If your doctors were even the remotest bit worried they would have tested it ages ago. Pea size, tbh is unlikely to be a gland, as swollen glands tend to be bigger, but could be - my bet it is a cyst, my dd had one over her eye, the doctor wasnt bothered, she is 17 now and she sort of outgrew it and it doesnt notice. I imagine they have told you to keep an eye on it because sometimes cysts can get infected (im guessing actually) as they do in dogs, and then they might remove it, but its not harmful and you shouldnt be worried. If it was serious of course she would be showing other symptoms.

This board is good, but it does tend to cause unnecc worry iyam

lucyellensmum · 08/11/2007 17:15

My DD also had lymph glands in her neck constantly swollen, for years, the doctor, again, wasnt worried.

NAB3littlemonkeys · 08/11/2007 17:22

My post was not innapropriate. For all you know it could have turned out I was right and helped a sick child! The OP was already concerned/worried and I gave my opinion. I clearly stated I wasn't a doctor and if you read FioFio's post someone else's illness started with a lump.

Doctors can be wrong you know and miss things!

kinki · 08/11/2007 17:24

My ds had a peas sized lump in his groin (it was there all the time) and occasionally some around his neck, in his armpit and along his spine. The one in his groin was there about 6 mths before they did a blood test and it came back positive for glandular fever. The lump stayed there from age 2.5 until about 5. The other lumps flared up from time to time. His belly was sometimes a bit swollen which apparently was due to a swollen spleen . He had no lasting problems and it eventually went. If he's run down now the lump in his groin will reappear sometimes.

FioFio · 08/11/2007 17:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Peachy · 08/11/2007 17:26

DS3 has ahd one for a few weeks now, we have to take him to GP Monday if not gone. we hve a family history of Leaukaemia (one family member- a cousin- died when she was 5, another ocusin- same family brnch, different aprents- was given 2 weeks but is still doing fne 29 years on ). Been dreading taking him tbh

lucyellensmum · 08/11/2007 17:27

im sorry if i seemed a little blunt, but i just think that worse case scenarios are not helpful, and as you point out, you are NOT a doctor, if you were, you would have known that it is most likely innocuous. The OP has referred this to several GPs and HV, i would have thought they would manage with something as fundamental as this, they are not about to take chances with a childs life. I am sure you meant well, but i was just trying to point out that even if you think that there is a problem, a mild suggestion of a second opinion is better than scaring the pants off of an already anxious parent. Had that have been me, i would have been hysterical.

melsy · 08/11/2007 17:30

yes sometimes more information can be a worry , make you nauseous , scare you and make for gibbering wreck feelings, but without some of this information my dd1 wouldn't have had proper diagnoses of several nasty infections . I was armed with more information than most using MN and then various other websites.

Peachy · 08/11/2007 17:32

It's important for people to be honest i think- worst case scenarios are worth mentioning and its quite possible to word them in a non scary way, as I think NAB's was tbh, she said probably not a worry if GP is fine about it.

NAB3littlemonkeys · 08/11/2007 17:32

It may be nothing but neither do you know that. People post on here because they are worried and most of us know it isn't likely that they will get lots of GPs answering.

I don't like being patronised (saying I meant well) and I would rather say how I think it could be than pussy foot around saying oh just get another opinion if you are worried.

I suggest you don't ask for medical advice on here if me saying that would have made you hysterical.

I would much rather someone suggest something awful and be wrong that my child become really ill or die and they they say, oh I thought it might be that but didn't want to worry you unnecessarily.

lucyellensmum · 08/11/2007 17:37

please dont take it personally, i am sorry actually, as i shouldnt have worded what i said that way.

I never ask for medical advice on here, i suffer from quite severe health anxiety so i would be in the funny farm.

I do apologise if i have offended you though. As i do take on board that things must be checked if suspect. The OP has had several opinions on this though, as you rightly said.

am i forgiven for overreacting? Im not excusing myself, but i guess my anxiety disorder got the better of me.

NAB3littlemonkeys · 08/11/2007 17:40

Thank you for your apology. I appreciate it.

I would never knowingly post something to cause anyone distress.

My children have been let down my the NHS so I don't see GPs as the Gods that know everything that other people do.

lilolilmanchester · 08/11/2007 17:48

My DS has a swelling behind his ear and several lumps along his hair line, they appeared a before the summer. Went to GP who did a blood test which came back entirely normal, however, as the swellings hadn't gone down, she referred us to a consultant, who we saw yesterday. He confirmed that they were the body's reaction to some viral infection and nothing at all serious. I am really glad we had them checked out to give us complete peace of mind. I'd go back to the GP again if you are still worried.

Scotia · 08/11/2007 17:49

mummyblueyes, my ds is the same age and has the same thing. I have mentioned it every time we have been at the doctor and always had the same response as you.

So no help to you, but maybe it isn't so uncommon after all - I know it helps me to see other people have the same thing as my ds and that they are also told by different gps and hvs that it is nothing to worry about.

Original poster
mummyblueyes · 08/11/2007 18:21

Scotia - thanks, is it in the side of his neck?

It can't be an infection as as far as I know it has always been there. No lumps anywhere else and nothing has ever changed with it. It is particularly noticeable if she turns her head to the side and it 'moves' slightly. I can feel the same thing the other side but it doesn't stick out as such.

Another thing I mention everytime I take her to the GP with something else are these little tiny white spots she has on her arms. They are dry, I feel like I could scratch them off if she'd let me!! But I keep getting told it's eczema.

OP posts:
loopylou6 · 08/11/2007 18:46

my ds (8) has these aswell, it started about 3 years ago, he got somw sort of virus and the one under his chin swelled up to golf ball size, he also has a few on the side of his neck and one of them he has had since he was born, i took him to the doctor whow as quite shcoked by the size of the one under his chin, he measured it and checked his stomach and everywhere else for more swollen nodes, (therew ernt any) and gave ds antibiotics then told us to make another appointment when the course of tablets was finsihed, we did and he measured it again and said it was smaller which was reasurring, he then gave him more tablets to see if it would go smaller, i seen another doctor aswell who was going to let it go but then decided she best send him to an ENT to see what his thoughts where, the ENT was more interested in the wax in his ears to be honest, he was flippant about the lymph nodes said they where nothing. His lumps do come up and down when he is ill, now for instance he has had a cold and the one under his chin is huge, but before that they had a period of going very small and almost went completely, apparently they can be stretched when they've been very swollena nd never go back to same size again