Bumps on the neck?

Question:

Yesturday my sister found 2 bumps on my 3 year old nephews neck. They are kinda soft and when you push on them you can feel like a bump moving. My family said it could be swollen glands, cists or possibly tumors,just there guesses though. We are out of country right now and get home on monday but does anyone have any clue as to what it could be??

Answers:
Most likely they are lymph nodes. Lymph nodes swell in response to infection, but can also swell when there is a cut or scrape nearby. Does you nephew have any cuts or scratches on his scalp? Does he have a fever or any other signs of illness? If the nodes are still enlarged when you get back home, suggest that she take him to the pediatrician, just to be on the safe side. Good luck.

Edit: The lymph nodes play a heavy role in immunity, so yes, a virus could cause swollen lymph nodes. It's not any more ominous that they are on both sides rather than just one. The other possibility is that the two little boys just happen to have large lymph nodes. Regardless, since you and your family are worried and the enlarged nodes seem to be new onset, I would still suggest having them checked out by a doc when you get back home. If your nephew spikes a high fever before then, consider taking him to a doc wherever you are, if that's possible.

Bumps on the neck?

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