What can cause a lump in the throat?
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My sister is 14 years old and has a small firm lump on the left-hand side of her throat down from her ear. She is experiencing difficulty swallowing and has also been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. She is currently on antidepressants.
She had blood tests seven years ago because she was very tired and dizzy and the results came back clear.
We noticed the lump about three weeks ago. We did another blood test three months ago which also came out clear.
What is the chance that it is cancer? I have attached a picture of the lump.
Please help me to find the reason.
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I have gone through your query and can understand your concern.
From the attached image (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity),the swelling looks like an enlarged lymph node. Lymph nodes get enlarged in many conditions like infections, malignancies, autoimmune diseases, metastasis, etc. It is not necessary that it is always due to cancer.
As you have mentioned that she has difficulty swallowing, I suggest that you should consult an ENT specialist (ear, nose, and throat). She may need some invasive intervention like laryngoscopy and FNAC (fine needle aspiration cytology) of the swelling to find out what it is.
I also suggest you check her thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) if it is not done previously.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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