Some days ask more of us than others. Stand tall today, and remember that most problems look smaller once we face them calmly and one step at a time.
This photo shows a woman sitting in a clinic with a large, swollen lump on her upper back, close to the shoulder blade. The skin over it is red, tight and slightly shiny.
A lump like this is most likely an epidermoid cyst. These cysts are common on the back, where the skin is thick and has many hair follicles and oil glands.
They form when a follicle becomes blocked and the skin cells that should shed keep collecting underneath, slowly filling a small sac with soft keratin.
A back cyst can grow quietly for months because it is hard to see. When it becomes inflamed it swells quickly, feels warm and tender, and makes it uncomfortable to lean back in a chair.
