Hi, i am 42 years old, male 125lbs. 5 feet 2 inches tall. I have a mass in the lower left side of my neck toward the front but it is oblong and it causes pain. i had it happen about 3 weeks ago and my doctor gave me z-pac for infection. it seemed to work but the swelling never went down all the way and now it is back and i also have a mass in the right side of my neck. i have a cyst in my earlobe that has been there for a very long time and i can feel the cord from it run all the way down the inside of my neck. the only symptoms i really have is swelling and some pain and discomfort. could this just be a bad infection or could it worse. oh, the mass is soft and not hard.