# Soft "bump" on Toddlers head--what is it?!!



## AnyMama (May 25, 2007)

My 2 year old has the weird "mushy" area about .5 inches behind her right ear, it's not quite circular, but about 2 inches in diameter. It's not hot, it's the same color as the rest of her scalp. It's freaking me out!

We discovered it yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. We took her to the peds urgent care, had x-rays, and they found nothing.

My dd had the flu diagnosed on Tuesday, an ear infection (I think the left ear) diagnosed on Thursday. On Saturday morning she had a bad nose bleed and passed a large clot.

The urgent care doc didn't believe me it was new, and she was pretty stumped, but I'm fairly certain we would have found it just in our normal hair washing routine, it feels so different from the rest of her head. And her regular doc and I had to work pretty hard to get a look in her ears on Thursday, I'm sure we would have noticed it then if it had been there.

Does anyone have an idea?? Please help, this is really freaking us out!! I'm really not comfortable just waiting out the next week and seeing if it resolves!


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## Gitti (Dec 20, 2003)

I bet it's just a gland. You never noticed it because imo it's only there when she has a cold or is fighting some virus.

Feel around her head in the same hight all around and see if you notice any other "mushy" lumps. Generally there are several.

I am surprised your doc didn't diagnose it as such. This of course is just my opinon.


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## AnyMama (May 25, 2007)

it's too big to be a gland, in my opinion...really quite large, not protruding large, but large surface area. And up rather high as well.


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## Gitti (Dec 20, 2003)

Is it a soft part on the bone or below the scalp?


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## AnyMama (May 25, 2007)

It's over the bone, should be hard. When I say "behind the ear", think of a line going straight back from the top of the ear, less than 1/4 of this mushy area falls at or below that line.


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## SabbathD (Apr 4, 2006)

I found this and posted it the other place you posted it, but I wanted to post it here too.

Quote:


Signs of a possible skull fracture: *A soft area on the scalp, especially on the side of the head (above or behind the ear);* blood showing in the whites of his eyes; or pinkish fluid or *blood draining from his nose or ears.*
I would take her in for an MRI or a CT scan which isn't something they would have done even if they were just checking her for a concussion. Take her in!


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## AnyMama (May 25, 2007)

So apparently 90% of the time this is a symptom of a skull fracture. Our ped was going to diagnose it as such, but decided to order a cat scan. The cat scan is negative for a skull fracture, but shows tissue damage. Basically she bumped her head.

Anyway, in case someone looks this up in the future, soft mushy area behind and above the ear is usually indication of a skull fracture, even if it wasn't in this case. My doc has been practicing a long time and she said she's only seen maybe 5 cases when it wasn't a fracture. And even if it's not a fracture, it's good to check it out in case there is a concussion. Also not an issue here.


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