Dear doctor;

I have been troubled by a small lump in my left armpit for about 10 days now. It is quite small but occasionally causes me pain and makes the movement of my arm difficult. Is it something serious or could it just be a broken sore?

Neriah N, Rubavu.

Dear Neriah,

The lump described by you in axilla seems to be a small abscess due to bacterial infection. Axilla is part of the body, where due to presence of hair and sweating one can get bacterial and fungal infections readily. Wearing tight clothes, nylon clothes, scratching, poor hygiene are some of the conditions which predispose to it. Diabetes increases susceptibility to infection. Sometimes a lump in this part can be due to enlargement of a lymph node. This occurs if there is some infection draining in the lymphatic vessels. A simple complete blood count can confirm the presence of infection. It can be cured completely with antibiotic and anti inflammatory drugs.