A neck mass is an abnormal enlargement of the lymph nodes in the neck or an abnormal mass in the neck. The neck is a lump-prone area of the body. Therefore, it is useful to know the examination methods and possible causes of neck lumps for early detection of diseases and maintenance of health. The examination is done by observing and touching to check for lumps or abnormalities. How to observe? The person being examined should choose a place with sufficient and even light, untie the collar to fully expose the neck, sit or stand in front of the mirror, raise the head and carefully observe whether there are any abnormal raised lumps in the neck, and pay attention to whether the two sides of the neck are symmetrical. In normal cases, there is a nail cartilage protrusion in the middle of the neck, called the laryngeal node. There is a muscle on each side from the top to the bottom, called the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Then turn your head to observe the left and right sides. Finally, you can place a small mirror behind your head and check the back of your neck facing a large mirror. How do I touch it? The person being examined can touch each area of the neck with the palm of the fingers of both hands in an anterior-posterior up-and-down sequence. When a lump is found, the site, depth, size, shape, texture, number, mobility, and pressure pain of the lump should be noted. Then a preliminary judgment of the lump should be made accordingly to decide whether further detailed examination at the hospital is needed. The relationship between neck lumps and common neck diseases is roughly as follows: submandibular, subchin or lateral neck lumps are flat and round, medium in texture, smooth surface, movable, sometimes large and sometimes small, and mildly painful to pressure (while there is often inflammation in the mouth, pharynx and larynx), often chronic lymphadenitis; if the lump is red, swollen, hot and painful obviously, it is often acute lymphadenitis. When the primary lesion disappears, the acute and chronic lymphadenitis then gradually disappears. If the lymph nodes are initially painlessly enlarged and gradually break down, forming skin fistulas, ulcers and scars and spreading to the surrounding area, this is mostly lymphatic tuberculosis. The disease is most common in infants and preschoolers, and rarely occurs in people over 30 years of age. A single, well-defined, smooth-surfaced mass that moves up and down with swallowing, located on both sides of the trachea at the front of the neck, is most often a thyroid adenoma. When you feel an enlarged, hardened, uneven surface on one side of the thyroid gland and enlarged lymph nodes nearby, you should be alert to the possibility of a thyroid gland. When a round, smooth, soft lump is felt in the middle of the neck, above the laryngeal node, and the tongue is stretched and then moved upward, especially if it is found after birth, it is most often a thyroglossal cyst. A round, smooth and soft mass located under the jaw, deformed by hand pressure and gradually recovered by relaxing the pressure is mostly a hemangioma; if the mass is tough, smooth, well-defined, without pressure pain and moving well, it is mostly a dermatomal cyst. If the mass is located in the lower part of the earlobe, is well-defined, nodular, tough and painless, it is often a mixed tumor of the parotid gland. If there are multiple groups of enlarged painless lymph nodes in the neck with normal surface skin, be alert to the possibility of lymphoma. The possibility of lymph node metastasis from malignant tumors should be suspected when a lump is felt in the upper lateral neck, supraclavicular fossa, and is firm, initially single, non-pressure, and movable; subsequently, the lump increases in size and can be multiple in clusters, bunches, and fixed. According to the literature, neck lumps can be caused by more than 60 diseases, with benign lesions being the most common. However, it is incorrect to consider neck lumps as insignificant or to downplay them as lymphadenitis from this. If you suspect a neck lump on self-examination, do not panic, but go to a regular hospital to see a specialist for treatment. If a lump in the neck is found to be fast growing, hard, poorly mobile, with unclear boundaries and no pressure pain, you should not be careless and should seek medical attention as soon as possible.