Cyst?

[Aymotin]

So I have a little question for you guys. I am medicaly trained, but this is not my area of expertise.

Yesterday I discovered this little bump you can see on the pictures.

The white "tip" you see is sensitive to touch with a pressure-like pain 1/10.
The area appears red, I am not sure about temperature but it appears to be slightly warmer than the surrounding area.
The bump is clearly palpable and about the size of the distal phalanges of my pointing finger, the form appears to be egg-like with the bottom at the white tip and the top pointing upwards if viewed at the pictures. It can be shifted in all directions with the skin and appears firm to touch.

It´s not an insect bite, I didn´t carry rucks lately etc. I would guess it´s a cyst but would like to hear your guys opinions.

 

[racer2438]

A medically train person would go to a doctors office, not ask on a web forum where there are no doctors..

go to the doctors office...

 

[Aymotin]

I´ll explain two principles to you now.

#1: In some countries you don´t rush with something like this to the emergency care unit and scream like a mofo. Instead you telephone your doctor´s office where the nice lady will give you a date and time when you have to show up. This is called appointment and might be some days in the future, especially if not connected with acute pain, fever or other conditions alike.

#2: I am trained to treat a polytrauma victim in remote area or hostile environment and keep him alive until surgical care can be given. Also I am a ils-paramedic. Never the less there is something a lot of people nowadays have, it´s called curiousity.

Combine these two principles and you have someone with some time until definitive diagnosis and treatment who has some idea what he might have and is curious wheter his idea (since it´s not his special area of knowledge) is correct or not.

Hope this enlightens you about this thread and it´s purpouse.

 

[looseliam]

From what you describe, I'm inclined to think it may be a sebaceous cyst. YOu've a couple options. You could lance it and drain it. Use some topical anaesthetic if you have. Removal of the cyst wall by yourself in that location will be awkward at best. You could let it open on it's own, but I've found that the time for it to heal increases quite a bit when left to open on it's own.

I'm not sure how often you have these, but they can come back without removal of the cyst wall. So, I'd recommend seeing someone to remove it properly.

 

[KaraBulut]

What is odd about this is that there's what looks like a linear margin of rubor to it which would be more typical of an abrasion or a contact reaction.

But from your description, it sounds like there's an infection (calor, dolor, rubor...). And you are right to consider the possibility of an insect bite. Another differential would be a sebaceous cyst (although the location is a bit odd for that).

It is something that you should have a physician examine. If you have to worry about getting an appointment, perhaps you could call in a favor at work and ask a physician or nurse practitioner to take a look and see if you need antibiotics or whether NSAIDs/warm compresses will be enough.

 

[Aymotin]

Thanks for the answers guys.

@Travisevian: I think I can rule allergic reaction out. The stuff you see in the picture belongs to my boyfriend and I didn´t change my deodorant. Also the location would be a bit odd since I usualy dont use any cosmetics on my armpit

Also a mild allergic reaction shouldn´t cause an "egg" like this under the skin. Rash, redness and itching would be more like a local allergic reaction.

@looseliam: Yes, sebaceous cyst is also my best guess.
I have everything here for lancing it as sterile as the Doc could, except some lidocaine, which I could substitute with an improvised ice local anethesia. But I don´t like the location and my bf would probably kill me so I´ll let the Doc do it next week IF it realy is a sebaceous cyst.

About how often I have these: Never had one. Had a pus-cyst once at the teeth and due to the localisation of my job I had to take care of it myself. Worked nicely and never came back ( I think I rammed a hard food-fragment between my teeth and the teethridge, causing this pus-cyst. When I lanced and drained it there was a "core" coming out)

@KaraBulut: Exactly what irritates me. The "head" and this mark. Also the infection-like signs.
Problem is, I can´t think of any occasion to get an infection in this spot. I am on vacation, so I didn´t carry a riflesling, no rucksack, no vest no nothing. Also my training routine doesn´t deliver any MOI for this spot. Insect bite would be a possibility, but I live in Germany and we have around -22°C since months and there are no insects in my appartment for sure.

Thats why the sebaceous cyst is my best guess, but I am not sure if those should come with infection-signs.

Will see the Doc tuesday and post what it was, but keep it coming if you have any other ideas

 

[looseliam]

^ in the meantime, go with KB's suggestion of warm compress. Though, instead I prefer warm baths, epsom salts, and a bottle of scotch - candles optional =]

 

[Aymotin]

Moved some things around and saw Doc today.

At first glance he thought it might be a form of herpes because of the white "tips", but that should inflict way more pain. So his guess now is a sebaceous cyst but he´s not sure.

Whatever it is, surgeon will cut it out next week.

 

[looseliam]

I'm glad you went to the doc. You should be in-and-out rather quickly for the procedure. From incision to suture, I'm usually finished in about 5 mins, 10 for larger cysts.

 

[AlmondMilk]

Oh, dang. Well, at least it's something not to worry about anymore Perhaps I'm just not reading, but where was the cyst? I guess you already took down the pics, but I'm a bit curious

 

[Aymotin]

Yes I took down the pictures, it´s a habit.

It was on the backside of the left armpit. My bf had to travel for some days lately, so I cancled the appointment with the surgeon and removed it myself.
The sack is still in, I would have needed both hands to remove it properly, so I guess it will come back sometime.