The armpit swelling suspicion: is it a “side breast”, a tumor or something else? The weather was a little dry and Xiao Xi was putting lotion on her body after a shower when she suddenly felt what seemed to be a small lump under her armpit. But the lump was only slightly painful to the touch, so she remembered what others had called “side breast” and ignored it. But after a while, the lump seemed to disappear, so she got scared, is this a “side breast”? The doctor told her that there are many possibilities for armpit masses, so there is no need to be too alarmed, but you should also be cautious and go to the hospital for a checkup to confirm. What is an armpit swelling? There are five or six possibilities Many people inadvertently found their armpits long swelling, for “swelling” people often think it is a tumor, make their own panic. In fact, the “swelling” in the armpit is possible for men, women and children of all ages, and may have many different “components”, not necessarily malignant tumors. The common ones are lymph nodes, sebaceous cysts, lipomas, fibroids, parametrium and even hyperplasia of the lobules of the breast, all of which are axillary lumps. These lumps can be initially distinguished. Lymph nodes are normal immune tissues in the human body. When the lymph nodes are surrounded by inflammatory infections such as those in the upper limbs or the chest wall of the affected side, they will become enlarged and painful, and generally have a smooth surface with clear borders and can be pushed. Sebaceous cysts are slightly elevated on the surface of the skin, with a small black spot in the middle, swollen with local pain if infection occurs, and adhered to the skin. The breast tissue in the armpit is often associated with the menstrual cycle and is characterized by periodic localized swelling and pain, which usually occurs a few days before menstruation and improves after menstruation, with the surface of the swelling being less smooth and some being granular, with pressure pain. They are usually found in the front axilla or armpit, but also in the upper and lower part of the normal breast, abdomen, groin and other parts. Most of them have no special sensation. Some women have localized swelling and pain before menstruation, and the swelling and pain disappears after menstruation. Some parametrium can develop into normal breast shape, especially during pregnancy and lactation. Because they contain breast tissue, they are still at risk of breast cancer. Lipomas and fibroids are also common benign tumors, the former is soft and the latter is hard, both have clear borders and can be pushed. Malignant metastatic tumors can also occur in the armpit. These metastatic tumors are the result of the metastasis of malignant tumor cells to the lymph nodes in the axilla and further development after implantation. Metastatic malignant tumors are mostly breast cancer metastases, but there are also metastases of malignant tumors in the affected upper limbs and other organs, which should be especially alert. The “swelling” in the armpit may require surgery, but some anti-inflammatory treatment is sufficient. Xiao Xi thought the swelling in her armpit was a “side breast”, but was finally diagnosed as an enlarged lymph node. Hearing this, Xiao Xi was terrified that she would have to undergo surgery. She was relieved to hear that she only needed anti-inflammatory treatment and observation. Although they are both underarm lumps, the principles of treatment are different for lumps of different nature. Usually, inflammatory enlarged lymph nodes can be treated with anti-inflammatory therapy, while other axillary masses can be surgically removed, while further systematic examination and treatment is needed if they are clearly malignant tumors. Except for metastatic malignant tumors, axillary masses that are suitable for surgery can basically be cured through surgery, and those that are not completely removed can usually be treated through surgery again. The axillary swelling does not necessarily mean that it is a malignant tumor, so don’t be afraid to go to the regular hospital for examination and treatment in time if you find that you have an axillary swelling.