Armpit Lump

[ncmoonbeam]

I found a small lump in my left armpit. I went to the doctor and she felt it and said she was not to concerned about it, but was making me get a mammogram since I had never had one and am 51 years old. I had the mammogram and the tech asked if I had any symptoms and I told her about the lump in my armpit. She said she would try to get it in the mammogram. After the radiologist read my mammogram he asked that I come back for another mammogram and ultrasound to look a little close at my left breast. While I was with the ultra sound tech I told her about the lump in my left armpit. She didn't seem concerned either and barely ran the ultra sound over my arm pit and said she did not see anything but was looking at an area in my left breast that was concerning to her. After the radiologist read my test results they felt it may be a cyst in my milk ducts and they asked me to come back in 6 months. I went back and had another mammogram and ultra sound and they came back there was no change and they concluded it was a cyst in the milk ducts. I of course was very happy but am concerned that I still have the lump under my armpit 1 year later. Should I be concerned they did not think it was urgent enough to even check it out other than the doctor feeling it? It has not grown and does not hurt but sometimes feels tingly in that area. It does move around and is just under the skin towards the center of my armpit just inside the curve of the armpit. You cant see it but you can feel it when you press on that area. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.

[japdip]

This no doubt is an enlarged lymph node and these nodes can become enlarged for a variety of reasons. One main reason is an infection some place in the body and very often even after the infection has cleared the node will not return to it's original size. If there were reason for concern after all the tests you have had I'm sure some further action would have been recommended. If this lump has not changed in over a year then I see no reason to be concerned just as the Dr.s have told you. I certainly would keep up with yearly mammograms at your age to keep track of any changes that might occur.  Kindest regards ......

[zouzi]

Hi,
This swelling in your armpit could be a cyst or a swollen lymph node. When there is infection or inflammation somewhere in the body, a lymph node in the axilla area may enlarge. Sometimes it goes away on its own but can also linger for a long time. I am sure that when you’ll go for another checkup in 6 months, the Radiologist will also check the lump in your armpit to ensure that it is not continuing to grow, which may require further investigation.
Try not to worry, if there was something suspicious about the lump in your armpit, or the cyst in your breast, the Mammogram and Ultrasound tests would have shown it and the  Radiologist would have certainly ordered a biopsy.
Best wishes …