My son is six years old. A couple of months ago, we noticed two lumps on the back of his neck and one behind his ear. He has no fever or anything like that. He seems perfectly fine, other than the lumps. I took him to the doctor and she told me it’s probably due to bug bites he may have gotten on the scalp. She told me to check them once a week to make sure they do not grow bigger. It has now been over two months and not only have these lumps remained, he has two more on the other side. The doctor keeps telling me not to worry they will probably not go away for several months. No tests have been done. What should I do? Are they nothing to worry about?

Dr. Joshua’s Answer:

We need to trust your doctor on this. Growing or increasing lumps should always be evaluated by a doctor, and only if he/she is satisfied that they are not a sign of any underlying serious illness, they can be safely followed.

Generally speaking, lumps and bumps on the neck in children are not uncommon, and as your doctor said, will usually subside slowly over time. He may have had an infection which resulted in lymph node enlargement and it takes time for them to shrink.

Talk to your doctor again and ask if he/she is satisfied that these lumps can be safely followed, and please do not examine by manipulating them too often, as this may lead to irritation or inflammation and cause the lumps to grow or persist even longer. Just check them once a week to see if there are any changes. If in doubt, ask your doctor.