Causes of Neck Mass in Adults

See Also
Page Contents

Page Contents...
Causes: Acute (days to weeks)
Causes: Subacute (weeks to months)
Causes: Chronic (months to years)
Causes: Malignant Adult Neck Masses
Causes: Benign Neck Masses in Adults
References
Extra: Related Bing Images
Extra: Related Studies
Extra: Navigation Tree

II. Causes: Acute (days to weeks)

Common
1. Most causes are reactive Lymphadenopathy
2. Viral Infection
  1. Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)
  2. Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
  3. Upper Respiratory Infection
3. Bacterial Infection
  1. Staphylococcal or Streptococcal infection of the head or neck
4. Parasitic Infection
  1. Toxoplasmosis
Uncommon
1. Infection
2. Trauma or vascular cause
  1. Hematoma
  2. Pseudoaneurysm
  3. Arteriovenous Fistula

III. Causes: Subacute (weeks to months)

Common
1. Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx
2. Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue
3. Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx
Uncommon
1. Lymphoma
2. Metastatic cancer
3. Salivary Gland Tumor (e.g. Parotid Tumor)
4. Sarcoidosis
5. Sjogren Syndrome
Rare
1. Castleman Disease (angiofollicular lymphoproliferative disease)
  1. Benign lymphoproliferative condition of mediastinum presenting with a single inflamed Lymph Node
2. Kikuchi Disease (histiocytic necrotizing Lymphadenitis)
  1. Self limited (3 month course) of fever, posterior Lymphadenopathy and Leukopenia
3. Kimura Disease
  1. Non-tender, idiopathic Subcutaneous Mass associated with Eosinophilia; endemic in Asia
4. Rosai-Dorfman Disease
  1. Matted Lymphadenopathy with occasional fever in otherwise healthy adults

IV. Causes: Chronic (months to years)

Common
1. Thyroid mass (Thyroid Nodule, Graves Disease, Goiter)
Uncommon (in adults)
1. Lipoma
2. Laryngocele
  1. Due to recurrent forceful nose blowing, coughing or wind instrument use
3. Congenital Anomaly
  1. Branchial Cleft Cyst
  2. Thyroglossal Duct Cyst
4. Parasympathetic tumors of the neck (Flushing, Palpitations, Hypertension with local affects)
  1. Carotid body tumor
  2. Glomus jugulare tumor
  3. Glomus vagale tumor
Rare
1. Liposarcoma
2. Parathyroid cancer

V. Causes: Malignant Adult Neck Masses

VI. Causes: Benign Neck Masses in Adults

Lymphadenopathy or Lymphadenitis
1. See Lymphadenopathy of the Head and Neck
Specific Infections
1. Soft tissue neck abscess
2. Tuberculosis or Atypical Mycobacterial infection
3. Cat Scratch Disease
4. Infectious Mononucleosis
Vascular abnormalities
1. Hemangioma
2. Lymphangioma
Soft Tissue Masses
1. Paraganglioma
2. Lipoma
3. Neurofibroma
Thyroid Goiter or other Thyroid mass
Salivary Gland changes
1. Parotid cyst
2. Parotitis
3. Sialolithiasis or Sialadenitis
4. Sjogren Syndrome
Congenital Anomaly
1. Lateral neck
  1. Brachial cleft cyst
  2. Cystic Hygroma
  3. Dermoid
2. Medial Neck
  1. Thyroglossal Duct Cyst
Miscellaneous Conditions
1. Sarcoidosis
2. Gout or Pseudogout (rarely involves neck)
3. Castleman Disease (angiofollicular lymphoproliferative disease)
  1. Benign lymphoproliferative condition of mediastinum presenting with a single inflamed Lymph Node
4. Kikuchi Disease (histiocytic necrotizing Lymphadenitis)
  1. Self limited (3 month course) of fever, posterior Lymphadenopathy and Leukopenia
5. Kimura Disease
  1. Non-tender, idiopathic Subcutaneous Mass associated with Eosinophilia; endemic in Asia
6. Rosai-Dorfman Disease
  1. Matted Lymphadenopathy with occasional fever in otherwise healthy adults

VII. References

Fedok in Noble (2001) Primary Care Medicine, p. 1767-73
Haynes (2015) Am Fam Physician 91(10): 698-706 [PubMed]
McGuirt (1999) Med Clin North Am 83(1):219-34 [PubMed]
Schwetschenau (2002) Am Fam Physician 66(5):831-8 [PubMed]

Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)

These images are a random sampling from a Bing search on the term "Causes of Neck Mass in Adults." Click on the image (or right click) to open the source website in a new browser window. Search Bing for all related images