Possible causes of an abdominal lump include hernias, lipomas, hematomas, undescended testicles, and tumors. These can appear as an area of swelling or a bulge that protrudes from the abdominal area. Abdominal lumps can be hard or soft and may feel sore. However, they may also appear with no additional symptoms.
Lipoma is a benign tumour made of fat tissue. They can be occasionally multiple and are generally soft painless and movable to the touch. They usually occur just under the skin, but occasionally may be deeper. Most are less than 5 cm in size.
Most often, a lump in the abdomen is caused by a hernia. An abdominal hernia occurs when there is a weak spot in the abdominal wall. This allows the internal organs to bulge through the muscles of the abdomen. A hernia may appear after you strain, or lift something heavy, or after a long period of coughing.
In an epigastric hernia, fat pushes out through a weakness in the wall of your abdomen between your belly button and sternum and forms a lump. The most common symptom is pain caused by the fat being pinched by your abdominal wall.
feeling sick. pain in your stomach or breastbone. difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) vomiting (the vomit may be streaked with blood), although this is uncommon in the early stages.
An abdominal mass is often found during a routine physical exam. Most of the time, the mass develops slowly. You may not be able to feel the mass. Locating the mass helps your health care provider make a diagnosis.
Always see your doctor right away if you have a lump in your abdomen as there are many conditions that can cause it. These could be signs of an incarcerated hernia. A hernia is incarcerated when it becomes trapped in the abdominal wall.
Your spleen is an organ that sits just below your left rib cage. Many conditions — including infections, liver disease and some cancers — can cause an enlarged spleen. An enlarged spleen is also known as splenomegaly (spleh-no-MEG-uh-lee). An enlarged spleen usually doesn't cause symptoms.
Typically, patients with ventral hernias describe mild pain, aching or a pressure sensation at the site of the hernia. The discomfort worsens with any activity that puts a strain on the abdomen, such as heavy lifting, running or bearing down during bowel movements. Some patients have a bulge but do not have discomfort.
The cells can form a mass called a tumor. Cancer cells in the stomach can invade and destroy healthy body tissue. They might start to grow deeper into the wall of the stomach. In time, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body.
Lipomas aren't usually painful, but they can be uncomfortable if they press against a nerve or develop near a joint. Many people who have a lipoma don't notice any symptoms.
An abdominal mass is any abnormal growth that occurs within the abdomen. These masses have several causes, ranging from cysts to cancer. A doctor can diagnose what is causing an abdominal mass with an MRI scan, CT scan, or X-ray.
Symptoms of Chest Wall Tumors
Pain or soreness. Swelling. Impaired movement or chest expansion. Protrusion as with a lump.
The chest wall includes the spine, sternum, and ribs. Many types of tumors can grow in this structure. Some are primary tumors, which originate in the chest wall; these can be either benign or malignant. Others are secondary tumors, which spread (metastasize) to the chest wall from another site in the body.
See a GP if:
your lump lasts more than 2 weeks. a lump grows back after it's been removed. you have a lump in the breast or testicles. you have a swelling on the side of your neck, armpit or groin that does not go down.
Epigastric hernia
The epigastric area of your abdomen is between your rib cage and your belly button. Epigastric hernias form when organs in your upper abdomen (like your stomach) push through the muscle wall. Epigastric hernias are often small, but they can cause pain and tenderness in the affected area.
Pain below your ribs can be caused by your GI tract, like GERD, indigestion, gallbladder disease, or constipation, or problems with your lungs, like pneumonia. You may also have nausea, bloating, chest pain, coughing, or pain that's worse when you breathe in.
A lipoma is a slow-growing, fatty lump that's most often situated between your skin and the underlying muscle layer. A lipoma, which feels doughy and usually isn't tender, moves readily with slight finger pressure.
Individuals with gastrointestinal cysts may experience the following symptoms: A tissue mass that can be seen or felt by hand or via medical imaging. Abdominal pain. Bowel blockage or obstruction.
Gastric lipomas are rare tumors, comprising of only 1–3% of benign stomach tumors. 1. Most gastric lipomas are found incidentally; however, larger tumors can be symptomatic.
Abdominal masses
While masses can appear in the stomach itself, some conditions cause masses elsewhere in the abdominal cavity, such as in the intestines, kidneys, or liver. Examples of conditions that can cause abdominal masses include: colon cancer. Crohn's disease. diverticulitis.
A tumor may feel more like a rock than a grape. A cancerous lump is usually hard, not soft or squishy. And it often has angular, irregular, asymmetrical edges, as opposed to being smooth, Dr. Comander says.