pain and swelling under arm

ncdtjm

I had a bilateral mastectomy 3-20-13 after having multiple lumpectomies and biopsies. There were mulitple precancerous masses but no malignancy. Due to no malignancy there was no further treatment after surgery. Two months post op (around may 12013) I had a small painless knot appear under my left arm a few inches above where the drainage scar is. over the last 2 months the knot has swollen to the size of a baseball and has become painful. There is also swelling accross the masectomy scar on that side as well as up to my breastbone and armpit. Originally the surgeon said it was a fluid pocket that would reabsorb, then she said it was probably scar tissue but as it has continued to get larger and more painful she has now decided it may be an infection and placed me on an antibiotic. At this point I feel that she's grasping at straws b/c she doesn't know whats going on!!  Has anyone gone thru anything similar? Or have any insight??

Thanks in advance,

Crystal

Moderators

Hi Crystal!

Welcome to BCO. We hate that you had to find us, but really happy you did! 

We´re sorry you didn´t get any real answers yet. While you wait for the advice from other members here, you may also want to read/post under the Surgery - Before, During, and After forum.

We hope this helps!

---The Mods 

ncdtjm

Thank you, I'll check that out!

dlb823

Crystal, so sorry you're going through what you are, but if the antibiotic doesn't work quickly, you might want to think about getting a second opinion, because it sounds painful, and I agree with you that your doctor doesn't seem to be at all sure of what's going on.  Has she done any imaging, like an u/s, to help figure out the problem?

Another condition that comes to mind reading your post is truncal lymphedema (lymph fluid that gets trapped in those areas), but I've never heard it quite described in terms of a baseball size lump or on a scar line.  It's usually more overall diffuse and painful swelling.  But you might want to use the Search feature here to at least read up on that (search truncal LE), as that might be at least some of what's going on.  Also, if not treated correctly, truncal LE can cause cellulitis, which can be more serious.  So you'll want to rule that in or out, and it's something many doctors may not even recognize.

Good luck, and please keep us posted on your situation.   (((Hugs)))   Deanna

choochoobella

Hi Crystal,

Is it possible you have a seroma or hematoma in that area?  I had a seroma in my left breast after my mastectomy that was clearing up (my body was resorbing the fluid), but I did some heavy work about three months after my mastectomy (cut down a 20 foot tree and loaded the lumber in my truck to take to yard waste disposal).  The next morning, I had a baseball-sized lump in that breast.  The skin was purple in some areas.  Apparently, I tore some internal stitches, which caused bleeding into the breast/armpit area, creating a hematoma where there was already remnants of a seroma.  I have been to a woman, weekly, who specializes in lymphedema massage (even though this isn't lymphedema) and my breast surgeon has instructed me to gently massage the area daily.  She said it could take as long as a year for my body to resorb the fluid.  Do you think you may have something along these lines?

Julie