What Do Lumps Under The Armpit Indicate?

Posted on Wed, 12 Mar 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 12 Mar 2014 Answered on

Tue, 1 Apr 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : hello dr I have 3 balls on my armpit they hurt alot but I just wanted to now what it could be they had told me they could be grease balls but what do you think dr

Answered by Dr. Dr. Prasad J (2 hours later)

Brief Answer: Lymph nodes most likely... Detailed Answer: Hi, I am not very sure what you meant by grease balls; perhaps you were referring to fat lumps or lipoma. If you really meant lipoma, then it is not always painful. In fact most lipoma are painless lump. I would think of lymph node enlargement as the most common cause of 3 painful balls in the armpit. If these are not lymph nodes, I would think of infected follicles before considering lipoma. As its hurting you, you can safely use over the counter pain killers for a day or two and watch over the lumps. If deemed necessary, I would order for FNA biopsy or excision of the lump after performing an ultrasound examination. Overall, I am not be overly concerned with these 3 lumps. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need clarifications. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar