What could cause a hard, painless, and an immovable lump on the sternum?

Question

Hello doctor,

There is a hard lump near the right sternum that is not movable. The lump is not painful and does not seem to be growing. The X-ray report of the sternum suggested no lesion or fracture. I am attaching my ultrasound reports also.

What could it be?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I went through your query and understood your concern.

Based on your findings and reports (the attachments were removed to protect the patient's identity), it appears benign and could be a soft-tissue growth. There is no need to worry. I suggest you do an ultrasound-guided biopsy or simple excisional biopsy and send it for histopathological examination. The histopathological report would give the nature of the lesion, whether it is benign or something else. Please attach a picture if possible.

I also have a few questions.

1. Is there any neck swelling or axillary lymph node enlargement on palpation?

2. Are there any systemic symptoms like weight loss, appetite decrease, evening rise of temperature, etc.?

Please reply to the above questions.

I hope this has helped you.

Thanks and regards.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Ultrasound report suggests the nature of the swelling is benign. There is no need to worry. A confirmatory test, whether it is benign or aggressive, would be confirmed by biopsy only. My suggestion is to do an excisional or simple biopsy rather than a CT (computed tomography) scan. There are no systemic symptoms and no lymph node enlargement, which is a positive sign. I suggest there is no need for medications.

I hope this has helped you.

Thanks and regards.