Q: My child has a lump on their neck. What could it be?

Answer:

Children quite often have glands that are enlarged in the neck. Anything that continues to grow or does not reduce in size should be investigated further. Children also sometimes present with developmental pathologies such as a cystic hygroma, branchial cyst or a thyroglossal cyst. Malignant pathology can present in the childs neck but thankfully is not the normal reason for a lump in a childs neck.
 

-- Mr Francis Vaz, Consultant ENT / Head and Neck Surgeon