Found a hard lump under my skin, any advice?

I have recently detected a certain area on my groin that feels unnervingly firm... significantly more rigid than the surrounding tissue or any subcutaneous fat I might be carrying.

This observation surfaced shortly after I began shedding a modest amount of body fat through a consistent fitness regimen, though I still maintain a fair amount of excess weight.
The protrusion in question is roughly the size of a fingertip, making it entirely invisible to the naked eye.

I recall reading various medical forums online suggesting that skin cancers, such as melanoma, typically present as visible surface irregularities, and I find myself desperately hoping this particular sensation is unrelated to anything of that nature.

My initial, perhaps overly simplistic, assumption was merely some localized thickening of the adipose tissue...

If anyone here possesses actual clinical experience or has encountered something similar, I would be profoundly grateful for your insight.

Thank you.

You didn't mention if it's the same color as the surrounding skin—if it's shedding, how big it is, if it moves, or if there's any discharge... but my gut feeling? It sounds like an atheroma. You’re thinking along the right lines—it’s basically a buildup of fatty tissue caused by a clogged sebaceous gland. Usually, you just treat it surgically: a tiny incision at the top, squeeze out the sebum, pull out the sac... doesn't hurt, takes maybe ninety seconds tops. But again, I can't say for sure it's an atheroma without seeing it myself. That's just my lucky guess...
Can't rule out skin cancer, though.

Sophia Martinez65 said:nothing hurts

Sure, until you actually strike a match... then you're getting the whole procedure without any local anesthesia. 👍 🙂

Sophia Martinez65 said:You didn't mention if it’s the same color as the surrounding skin, or if it’s breaking the surface, its size, whether it moves under pressure, or if there’s any discharge... though my personal hunch is that we're looking at an atheroma. You were on the right track, really—it’s just a buildup of fatty tissue caused by a blocked sebaceous gland duct. Usually, you just handle it surgically with a tiny incision to squeeze out the sebum and extract the cyst capsule... it isn't painful, the whole thing takes maybe ninety seconds... But again, I can't say for certain that it’s an atheroma without actually seeing it, so that is merely my own educated guess...
I can't rule out a malignancy in the animal...

It doesn't break the skin, and honestly, it doesn't even stand out in terms of color or shape. It's roughly the size and shape of a peanut, I suppose, and I don't think it's mobile at all....
I truly hope it turns out to be an atheroma...

I have heard mentions of lipomas as well, which are essentially like a cancer of the fat cells... 😕

Sam Brooks said:I’ve heard people describe lipomas as being basically just clusters of fat cells.

In reality, a lipoma is technically a benign tumor.

Honestly, you'd be much better off actually seeing a doctor instead of us all sitting here playing armchair medic and guessing what it might be. 😉

Sam Brooks said:It doesn't look like a cyst—honestly, you wouldn't even notice it because of the color or shape. It’s basically just shaped like a peanut, so I don't think it's anything crazy...
Hopefully, it's an atheroma.

I've heard about lipomas too—those are basically just fatty cell tumors. 😕

Diagnosis: Atheroma on the back
It was on my shoulder until about a month ago. Getting it handled via outpatient surgery is a breeze—it's a routine procedure, and you're usually out the door in 10 minutes max.😉

- In my case, things got inflamed so they didn't stitch it up—meaning I had to deal with daily bandage changes and antiseptic treatments—but if they actually close the wound, you'll be fine.
- These things can disappear and then pop right back up in the exact same spot. Mine started off looking like a tiny pimple, but once it grew and started hurting when touched, I decided it was better to just have it cut out.

I have this brown growth on my lower leg, about the size of a small coin. It’s slightly raised, and I can clearly feel the edges when I touch it. My esthetician told me it's just an ingrown hair,😕 but it just won't come to the surface...😢

I used to deal with those nasty little cysts—atheromas, if you want to get technical. Honestly, I was pretty shocked when my doctor told me there wasn't much he could do besides suggesting surgery. I actually laughed in his face; I mean, come on, telling someone they need an operation for something as trivial as a cyst? It felt ridiculous. But anyway, for all you unlucky folks out there struggling with this, I’ve got a remedy that my grandmother passed down to me. She always used to say, "Son, nature provides everything you need." Her trick? You take a cabbage, slice it right down the middle, and toss it on the stove for maybe two minutes—just enough to let the color change slightly, don't overdo it. Then, you take that warm cabbage and apply it directly to the spot. If you keep doing this every single day, within two to five days, the cyst just kind of softens up, drains away, and disappears completely. No scars, no pain, nothing. Best of luck!

So, I’ve actually got this little lump about the size of a mandarin orange right where my deltoid meets my tricep, and according to my medical report, it looks like some fatty tissue—basically a lipoma near my armpit—but even though they told me I really ought to go in for a biopsy and a puncture, plus see a surgeon, I just haven't been able to bring myself to actually go
.
I’m really hoping it isn't anything serious since I guess I've totally ignored it for way too long... maybe even a whole year now 😲 😲

swiftlynx10 said:I used to deal with those nasty little cysts—atheromas, if you want to get technical. Honestly, I was pretty shocked when my doctor told me there wasn't much he could do besides suggesting surgery. I actually laughed in his face; I mean, come on, telling someone they need an operation for something as trivial as a cyst? It felt ridiculous. But anyway, for all you unlucky folks out there struggling with this, I’ve got a remedy that my grandmother passed down to me. She always used to say, "Son, nature provides everything you need." Her trick? You take a cabbage, slice it right down the middle, and toss it on the stove for maybe two minutes—just enough to let the color change slightly, don't overdo it. Then, you take that warm cabbage and apply it directly to the spot. If you keep doing this every single day, within two to five days, the cyst just kind of softens up, drains away, and disappears completely. No scars, no pain, nothing. Best of luck!

👍 🙏

So, what’s the smarter move here: booking an appointment with a surgeon or just grabbing a kitchen knife and DIYing this myself? 🙂
Just a heads-up: nobody is picking up the phone at the local outpatient clinic. What, are they all busy having lunch together or something?

I’m really curious about whether there will be any scarring left behind. I have an atheroma on my face that I’d love to get removed, but my biggest fear is being left with a permanent mark.
The skin around the bump is also looking a bit redder than my natural complexion, which makes it pretty noticeable and honestly quite bothersome. It's about the size of a pea, though maybe even a little smaller.
Before I commit to surgery, I’d love to hear from anyone who has dealt with this exact same issue. What kind of scarring did you end up with, and where did you go for the procedure? I really don't want to end up in the hands of some inexperienced intern who might leave me disfigured.

amberraven76 said:I’m really curious about whether there will be any scarring left behind. I have an atheroma on my face that I’d love to get removed, but my biggest fear is being left with a permanent mark.
The skin around the bump is also looking a bit redder than my natural complexion, which makes it pretty noticeable and honestly quite bothersome. It's about the size of a pea, though maybe even a little smaller.
Before I commit to surgery, I’d love to hear from anyone who has dealt with this exact same issue. What kind of scarring did you end up with, and where did you go for the procedure? I really don't want to end up in the hands of some inexperienced intern who might leave me disfigured.

Listen, I ended up with a scar that's barely noticeable, but it wasn't on my face... 🤷

it was under my right armpit...

So, where did you end up having your surgery?

ps. Does anyone else here have some experience they could share?

amberraven76 said:So, where did you end up having your surgery?

ps. Does anyone else here have some experience they could share?

I was over at MD Anderson today...

Are you really worried about a scar? I mean, isn't the tattoo way more beautiful than some tiny little mark... 🤷

Grace Lewis6 said:I was over at MD Anderson today...

Are you really worried about a scar? I mean, isn't the tattoo way more beautiful than some tiny little mark... 🤷

Well, you mentioned the clinic, so thanks for that perspective...
My concern is really about whether the resulting scar will end up being larger or more noticeable than the actual atheroma itself.
That’s the main thing weighing on my mind right now...