Parotid Gland tumour

[ballerina]

Need some support as I'm majorly freaking out. Haven't stopped crying all day.

Been having issues with ongoing malaise and throat problems. I've also had a rock solid lump under my left ear.

I'm off work again, I got sick and went off work for 2 months, went back for 4 months, not feeling fab but well enough. A week ago I suddenly felt very ill again and I've been off since. I'm due on a holiday flying to the other side of the world in a week's time and I'm a complete mess. I haven't felt this depressed in a while. However I've rerequested my prescription for prozac that I haven't taken in months, can't get it until Monday due to the weekend.

Not only has that got my anxiety up the wall, I began thinking about this mass under my ear. When I had my ultrasound (scanning my lymph nodes as they'd been up a while), I asked about under my left ear and she said "oh it appears to be your parotid gland". Now since I've been researching and nowhere does it say feeling a hard lump under your ear is a normal parotid gland, they're supposed to not be palpable, everywhere says it's a parotid gland tumour and it seems to fit the bill. It's under my left ear which is the one I use to talk on the phone and studies have shown increased tumours due to mobiles - maybe a long shot but it adds to my concerns.

I'm not even all that concerned that it's malignant as it doesn't seem to have grown, it just popped up. But I know you can get facial paralysis removing a benign tumour. Would an ultrasound show a tumour as well as the gland? Could they have missed it? Or do you need a different type of imaging such as CT to see a tumour?

[Fishmanpa]

Would an ultrasound show a tumour as well as the gland? Could they have missed it? Or do you need a different type of imaging such as CT to see a tumour?

Based on your post history concerning nodes and for what it's worth... None of the above IMO

Positive thoughts

[ballerina]

I just don't understand how a rock hard lump could be a healthy salivary gland :(

[wilky44]

Because a qualified health professional says it is?

[Daedalus]

I had a blocked parotid gland, which caused the side of my face to swell up every time I ate or drank anything.

Anyway, they had to check it didn't have a tumor.

They used an ultrasound to check. That was the diagnostic tool.

Hope you find that reassuring!

[ballerina]

I had a blocked parotid gland, which caused the side of my face to swell up every time I ate or drank anything.

Anyway, they had to check it didn't have a tumor.

They used an ultrasound to check. That was the diagnostic tool.

Hope you find that reassuring!

That is quite reassuring thank you! I don't think my face swells or anything despite having several ENT issues, but I do have a discomfort in each side of my face. I just worry they didn't look very hard at that area because they were focused on my lymph nodes, or they didn't check from the right angle because they weren't specifically scanning my parotid gland, she just put the wand (whatever you want to call it) over the back of the lump.

Then I see things online about needing a CT or MRI to look for tumours


I do have an ENT appointment scheduled but it's in almost a month's time, I'm desperate to ask the consultant about the lump!

[Halle0587]

My mom had to have her parotid gland removed due to a suspicious area, ended up benign-Thank god! They used an ultrasound for her, found it no problem. An ultrasound is a wonderful tool.

[Andrash]

That is quite reassuring thank you! I don't think my face swells or anything despite having several ENT issues, but I do have a discomfort in each side of my face. I just worry they didn't look very hard at that area because they were focused on my lymph nodes, or they didn't check from the right angle because they weren't specifically scanning my parotid gland, she just put the wand (whatever you want to call it) over the back of the lump.

Then I see things online about needing a CT or MRI to look for tumours


I do have an ENT appointment scheduled but it's in almost a month's time, I'm desperate to ask the consultant about the lump!

Yes, when they are there. In your case, they are not