Cording/Lump Above Inner Elbow

Yuuki

Weird symptom, curious whether any of you ladies has had it and what it means.

I had a mastectomy with ALND in early 2001 and a recurrence in 2016. For that I had radiation, and for a year everything was ok until I developed contracture in the implant combined with axillary cording. After three bouts of it the cording settled down, but the contracture remained and was very uncomfortable. I had DIEP reconstruction four months ago.

I eased back into my workouts, but after my first more intensive class I developed new painful cording, and this time it extends to a lump on my bicep which I am guessing is a lymph node. I can’t find anything about lumps or swollen nodes aboveboard the inner elbow, so I’m not sure if the cording is progressing to lymphedema or if one panicked node is just trying to cope with the inflammation.

Has anyone been there? I’d be grateful for guidance.

Yuuki

moth

Yuuki, I would have this looked at by your gp or your MO. There is a lymph node in the elbow region, called the epitrochlear node.

I don't want to worry you and the risk is very low but there is at least one report of that node being a possible site for recurrence (& in this report the recurrence was quite a few years post initial dx) . http://www.cancerjournal.net/article.asp?issn=0973-1482;year=2009;volume=5;issue=3;spage=203;epage=205;aulast=Kumar

If it is a node & not just a random cysts or abscess, I think I'd want it imaged &/or biopsied.

I had cording but none of my cording had any lumps associated with it.

buttonsmachine

Hi Yuuki, I had an extensive surgery and radiation for a recurrence too - I found that even several months out from both, my cording would return with exercise. I had cording right after my ALND, but it would return with exercise. I could feel the cord stretching from my armpit to my wrist sometimes. It's been over a year now, and that finally stopped, and I've just started exercising again recently. I think in my case, I was still healing for a long time, and I just wasn't ready for arm exercises yet - I pretty much had to stick to walking. Definitely ask your Drs too, but I hope it'll resolve for you with time.

Yuuki

Thank you both. It seems the nodes you mention lie between the biceps and triceps, so this is almost 180 degrees off. I wonder if it’s possible the cording can extend to a tendon and tear it if it’s overstretched. Has this happened to anyone? Does anyone know the risk of lymphedema after orthopedic surgery to the arm?

Not looking for another surgery here, just curious whether anyone has already been down this path.

Best to both of you. Wish there was a straightforward fix for all of this.

Yu