I have a lump on my shoulder blade For the past several months it has been hard, about the size of a small marble and not painful. However in the last few days it has increased by at least 4 times in size, the area is hot to the touch and is extremely painful. What do I need to ask my doctor tomorrow if I can get in to see him? What kind of specialist might handle this? How do you tell if it is a cyst or something more serious? Thank you so much for volunteering your time and expertise.
Hello and welcome to Chat Doctor, A hard lump on the shoulder blade is most probably a lesion arising from bone.an X-ray of the back is required to know whether the lesion is arising from the bone or from area surrounding the shoulder blade. Since, the lesion is hard, there is likelihood of the lump arising from the shoulder blade. Pain in the lesion suggests involvement of nerve by the lump. A cyst is unlikely to produce a hard painful swelling. Thus, there is more possibility of a solid swelling. An aspiration cytology is the next investigations required. In aspiration cytology, cells are aspirated from the swelling, spread on slide, stained with appropriate stains and studied microscopically. On the basis of all these investigations, diagnosis will be made and thus management. Thanks and take care Chat Doctor. 