What Causes Lump Behind the Ear?

What Causes Lump Behind The Ear?

Lump behind the ear can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'troubling' to 'critical'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose lump behind the ear, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "lump behind the ear" as a symptom. Here are six possibilities:

CLL Leukemia
Lymphatic Congestion
Vasectomy Side-Effects
Infectious Mononucleosis
Sarcoidosis
Enlarged Lymph Nodes

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

current atypical headaches

joint pain/swelling/stiffness

arrhythmia

minor joint pain/swelling/stiffness

swollen cervical nodes

long-term hoarse voice

highly elevated lymphocyte count

sensitivity to bright light

seizures

high systolic blood pressure

swollen inguinal nodes

slight abdominal distension

... and more than 30 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of lump behind the ear:

Cause	Probability	Status
Enlarged Lymph Nodes	98%	Confirm
Sarcoidosis	73%	Possible
CLL Leukemia	19%	Unlikely
Vasectomy Side-Effects	4%	Ruled out
Lymphatic Congestion	1%	Ruled out
Infectious Mononucleosis	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate recent swollen/painful lymph nodes, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

BEHIND EARS: Do you have any swollen or tender lymph nodes here?

Possible responses:

→ Don't know
→ No
→ Yes, swollen but not tender
→ Yes, tender but not swollen
→ Yes, swollen and tender

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either no postauricular node problems or postauricular node problems, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Enlarged Lymph Nodes

Enlarged Lymph Nodes also suggests the following possibilities:

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Consequences of Vasectomy

Sarcoidosis

Infectious Mononucleosis - Mono

Lymphatic Congestion

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™