What could be the cause for a painless bump in the back of my throat? (photo)

Doctor's Answer

Thank you for your question. The throat (oropharnyx) has a pink lining (mucosa) and numerous minor salivary glands underneath it.

Most commonly the lump at the back of the throat is a benign cyst (collection of mucous or saliva).

This usually occurs due to some injury or irritation to a minor salivary gland that has caused saliva to be trapped under the lining of the throat. Rarer causes of a lump at the back of the throat include benign or malignant (cancerous) tumours from the mucosa or minor salivary glands.

It is hard to tell from your clinical picture if the lump is a cyst or minor salivary gland tumour. It is best to have the lump examined by an ENT Specialist. The lump may have to be excised for testing (histology) to rule out cancer.

Hope this helps and all the best!

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