Neck mass explained

Neck mass
Field:	ENT surgery

A neck mass or neck lump is an ambiguous mass found in the neck area. There are many different possible causes,^[1] including head and neck cancer^[2] and congenital conditions like branchial anomalies and thyroglossal duct cysts.^[3]

Diagnosis

Workup of a neck mass includes a medical history and a physical examination, where important characteristics are location, size, shape, consistency, tenderness, mobility, and color.^[4]

When this is not conclusive, further workup includes:

• Blood tests
• Medical imaging

Contrast CT is generally the initial study of choice for adults.^[4] Medical ultrasound of the neck is useful in children because it avoids the radiation dose of CT.^[4] In some cases, fine needle aspiration may assist in the diagnosis.

See also

• Cervical lymphadenopathy

Notes and References

1. Web site: Neck Mass: Approach to the Patient With Nasal and Pharyngeal Symptoms: Merck Manual Professional .
2. Pynnonen . Melissa A. . Gillespie . M. Boyd . Roman . Benjamin . Rosenfeld . Richard M. . Tunkel . David E. . Bontempo . Laura . Brook . Itzhak . Chick . Davoren Ann . Colandrea . Maria . Finestone . Sandra A. . Fowler . Jason C. . Griffith . Christopher C. . Henson . Zeb . Levine . Corinna . Mehta . Vikas . September 2017 . Clinical Practice Guideline: Evaluation of the Neck Mass in Adults . Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery . en . 157 . S2 . 10.1177/0194599817722550 . 0194-5998. free .
3. Schwetschenau E, Kelley DJ . The adult neck mass . Am Fam Physician . 66 . 5 . 831–8 . September 2002 . 12322776 .
4. Web site: Evaluation of a neck mass in adults. Daniel G Deschler, Joseph Zenga. UpToDate. This topic last updated: Dec 04, 2017.