Question:
Hi,

My daughter is 14 months old and i have just recently discovered a hard lump behind her ear. It is hard but does not seem to bother her. I took her to the doctor and the Pediatrician said we should keep and eye on it and was not sure what it was. Since then I have discovered she has another small lump behind the other ear. They are not getting bigger or smaller. Does anyone know what this is ??? Should I be concerned or should i just ride it out for a while and see what happens to them.
NOTE: She is just getting over a cold.

Answer:
A lump after a cold, my first inclination was the measles. Initially the symptoms are like the common cold with fever, conjunctivitis (sore red eyes), cough, and characteristic Koplik spots (small white spots in the mouth).

Infants who have lost their passive immunity from their mothers (acquired from their mother through transfer of antibody across the placenta) and before their first immunisation are at risk to catch measles. Nevertheless, the lumps appear as Dermoid cysts which are non-cancerous tumours that may occur anywhere in the body and can be associated with a nearby pit and/or sinus tract to underlying tissues.

Although the cause in unknown, this suggests some type of infection (e.g. ear infection) that may require your Dermatologist to administer an antibiotic. Intrestingly about thises cysts, Dermoid cysts of the skin appear in early childhood, with about 40% present at birth and most appearing by the age of 5 years.

Dermoid cysts occur because of a defect during skin tissue development in the embryonic stage. The Cyst should be investigated with ultrasound scan to determine the extent of underlying tissue involvement.

Hope this helps you out!

REFERENCES

1. Ngan, V. Dermoid cysts. 2005.

2. The New Zealand Dermatological Society Incorporated. Cysts. 2005.

3. The New Zealand Dermatological Society Incorporated. Measles (morbili). 2005.

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Answer:

Because your daughter is just getting over a cold, I would think that these "lumps" are attributed entirely to that. Oftentimes, lymph nodes become swollen when a person has a cold. I would keep a close eye on them. If they persist, then you need to get her in to see a pediatric surgeon for his opinion. Swollen lymph nodes that persist, is always indicative of an infection or other matter than should be addressed by a surgeon.