Unexplained bumps and lumps can appear on different parts of your body.
If the lump is soft and rolls easily under your fingers, it is probably benign.
Still, unexplained growths or unusual swellings usually require a healthcare provider’s evaluation.
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They can help determine whether it’s serious or harmless.
Most lumps are benign.
Cysts
Acystis a sac that may contain fluid, air, tissue, or another material.
Epidermoid cyst.Raimo Suhonen / DermNet / CC BY-NC-ND
It can form when normal skin cellular turnover is disturbed.
Most of the time, cysts are not cancerous.
Cysts typically have a smooth surface and roll under the skin when pressure is applied.
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Sometimes this pore is hard to see.
Raimo Suhonen / DermNet / CC BY-NC-ND
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Most appear on the shoulders,upper back, arms, buttocks, and upper thighs.
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They typically don’t cause pain and may move if you push on them gently.
Lipomas don’t require treatment unless they cause discomfort or are unsightly.
Dermatofibromas
Adermatofibromais a small, round, noncancerous bump.
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These bean-shaped lumps may be painful and feel hard.
Lymph nodesare organs in thelymphatic system.
Dermatofibroma.Reproduced with permission from © DermNetdermnetnz.org2023.
They house immune cells and serve to filter foreign particles from body fluids.
They can enlarge and swell as part of the bodys response to a bacterial or viral infection.
Less commonly, lymph node swelling can be a sign of cancer or another serious condition.
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Moles
Molesare common skin growths that develop when skin cells grow in a cluster.
Most adults have 20 to 40 moles.They range in color from flesh-toned to dark brown.
Moles are usually harmless, but some can becomecancerous.
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Warts
Wartsare noncancerous growths on the skin that are sparked by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
They can grow anywhere but commonly crop up on the hands, fingers, and feet.
There are different types of warts, including:
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Theyre typically due to bacteria.
An abscess may be deeper, and the skin over it appears red, raised, and swollen.
Some people also experience fever and chills with an abscess.
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Often, a boil or abscess will break and drain on its own.
But sometimes, a healthcare provider must intervene and drain the pus.
This can lead to an infection or cause the lump to grow in size.
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Hernias
Aherniaoccurs when a body part bulges through the wall of muscle or tissue that usually holds it.
Hernias can appear as a bulge or slightlump in the groinor abdomen and may cause pain.
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Goiters
Agoiteris an enlarged thyroid that appears as a swollen lump in the front of the neck.
The thyroid is a gland that makes hormones to help control many body functions.
Though theyre usually harmless, some goiters are sparked by thyroid cancer.
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For this reason, seeing a healthcare provider is essential if you develop a goiter.
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Fibroadenomas
Fibroadenomasare benign breast tumors that are usually:
When touched, fibroadenomas usually move easily.
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Sometimes, no treatment is needed, but a surgeon may remove the noncancerous growth.
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoidsare swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum.
If you have a hemorrhoid, you might feel a bulge or lump in these areas.
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You may also experience pain and swelling.
Cancer
In rare cases, a lump under the skin can becancerous.
A bang out ofskin cancercalledsoft tissue sarcomacan cause a cancerous lump to form almost anywhere on the body.
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Finding Lumps Under the Skin
Skin lumps can form virtually anywhere on the body.
Its a good idea to perform frequent skin self-exams to look for new or unusual lesions.
Breast cancer is often found during routine mammogram screenings.
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This is why it’s important to get a yearly mammogram as recommended by your healthcare provider.
Summary
A lump under the skin is usually nothing to worry about.
Lumps have different causes and can appear all over the body.
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Many benign lumps can be left alone without any treatment.
A bump rarely turns out to be cancerous or causes another serious condition.
See a healthcare provider about a new or suspicious-looking growth.
2023;15(9):e45548.
doi:10.7759/cureus.45548
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.When should I worry about a lump under the skin?
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Cyst vs. tumor: what is the difference?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Lipoma.
2016;61(1):121. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.174131
Mount Sinai.Swollen lymph nodes.
National Cancer Institute.Common moles, dysplastic nevi, and risk of melanoma.
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.Overview: Warts.
American Academy of Pediatrics.Boils, abscess, & cellulitis.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Soft tissue sarcoma.
American Cancer Society.How to do a skin self-exam.
