Tonsil Cyst

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LumpinmyThroat
LumpinmyThroat Member Posts: 98
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hubby had a good scan on 11/09 after treatment for hpv+16 SCC of the trachea. For the last couple of weeks he hasn't been feeling well (cough, congestion, sinus stuff...). We have a little one who brings all kinds of disease into our home from daycare. Anyway...today he woke up with a sore throat and tonight he discovered a pea-sized tonsil cyst on his right tonsil. I have called and emailed MDA for an appt already. I just wanted to ask you all if you have had one of these things?

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  • thennies61
    thennies61 Member Posts: 285
    #2
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    Your doing the right thing

    Your doing the right thing have it checked could be nothing hopefully but could be something.I thought I a cyst on left side of tounge and it ended up being a tumor but I let it go thinking it would go away.

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #3
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    lump, i have not but wanted

    lump, i have not but wanted to say i am praying for you and your family.  please let us know what the doctor says.

    God bless you,

    dj

  • LumpinmyThroat
    LumpinmyThroat Member Posts: 98
    #4
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    Useless

    We went to doc-in-box. The guy was useless. He didn't even take enough time to take a good look and he said he couldn't see it. We can see it. He said negative for strep, noted a low-grade fever and sent us away with a z-pac. I relayed this back to MDA, so hopefully we will get an appointment ASAP.

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #5
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    LumpinmyThroat said:

    Useless

    We went to doc-in-box. The guy was useless. He didn't even take enough time to take a good look and he said he couldn't see it. We can see it. He said negative for strep, noted a low-grade fever and sent us away with a z-pac. I relayed this back to MDA, so hopefully we will get an appointment ASAP.

    that's a shame.  i really

    that's a shame.  i really hate to hear doctors treating patients like that.  i hope you get better service from MDA.

    God bless you.

    dj

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #6
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    MDA

     

    I also use MDA Houston, just go to your personal page and you should be able to make an appointment and have someone get back to you within 24 hours. Remember there is a lot going on in his mouth even after treatment stops, so sometime it is nothing but always good to check. Please let us know what they find for now I will just keep it in pray that it is nothing.

     

    Tim

  • LumpinmyThroat
    LumpinmyThroat Member Posts: 98
    #7
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    MDA

    His H&N doctor at MDA got back to us yesterday.  He is scheduled for an appointment in 1.5 weeks.  She said she gathers from the information I provided and the photo that what he has is a mucocele in one of the glands in his tonsil (mucus retention cyst).  She recommended finishing the Z-pac and then coming in for the appointment.  So hopefully she's right and that is what it is.  The photo I found online that matches it is included here.

     

    image

    I have another question too... he's been sick lately.  He's got a cough and congestion.  It's either a respritory virus of some kind or something bad we don't want to talk about.  After chemo and rads, did any of you have any respritory issues?  For example, if you caught a cold, did it take it forever to go away?  

  • LumpinmyThroat
    LumpinmyThroat Member Posts: 98
    #8
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    Update

    Hubby had his 4-month post-treatment CT yesterday.  The size of the cancerous node was stable from the last scan and they still believe it to be scar tissue.  The trachea remains clear and healthy.  The growth on his tonsil is a mucus retention cyst.  They said to just leave it alone and don't worry about it.  They also explained why he has a cough that doesn't cease.  Apparently when you have radiation in the tracheal area, the microscopic cilia that are on the lining that normally work to sweep mucus away get burned off and your trachea becomes smooth and "desert-like".  You have to cough to clear normal amounts of mucus as a result of this.  She said the cilia will either grow back in time or they won't.  Sometimes even when they do grow back, they don't function, so you still cough.

    He has a new 3mm lung nodule.  The doctor was not concerned about it based on his history of non-cancerous lung nodules in the past and said he will watch it on the scans to make sure it resolves. 

    He has a PET scan scheduled for 8 weeks from now to see if that para-tracheal node is active or not.  If it isn't, he will go back to CT's every 3 months.  If it is, they will surgically remove it and anything else that might be suspicious.

    All in all it was a very good day. 

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #9
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    LumpinmyThroat said:

    Update

    Hubby had his 4-month post-treatment CT yesterday.  The size of the cancerous node was stable from the last scan and they still believe it to be scar tissue.  The trachea remains clear and healthy.  The growth on his tonsil is a mucus retention cyst.  They said to just leave it alone and don't worry about it.  They also explained why he has a cough that doesn't cease.  Apparently when you have radiation in the tracheal area, the microscopic cilia that are on the lining that normally work to sweep mucus away get burned off and your trachea becomes smooth and "desert-like".  You have to cough to clear normal amounts of mucus as a result of this.  She said the cilia will either grow back in time or they won't.  Sometimes even when they do grow back, they don't function, so you still cough.

    He has a new 3mm lung nodule.  The doctor was not concerned about it based on his history of non-cancerous lung nodules in the past and said he will watch it on the scans to make sure it resolves. 

    He has a PET scan scheduled for 8 weeks from now to see if that para-tracheal node is active or not.  If it isn't, he will go back to CT's every 3 months.  If it is, they will surgically remove it and anything else that might be suspicious.

    All in all it was a very good day. 

    lump, i am praying for all to

    lump, i am praying for all to be good. 

    God bless you,

    dj

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #10
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    LumpinmyThroat said:

    Update

    Hubby had his 4-month post-treatment CT yesterday.  The size of the cancerous node was stable from the last scan and they still believe it to be scar tissue.  The trachea remains clear and healthy.  The growth on his tonsil is a mucus retention cyst.  They said to just leave it alone and don't worry about it.  They also explained why he has a cough that doesn't cease.  Apparently when you have radiation in the tracheal area, the microscopic cilia that are on the lining that normally work to sweep mucus away get burned off and your trachea becomes smooth and "desert-like".  You have to cough to clear normal amounts of mucus as a result of this.  She said the cilia will either grow back in time or they won't.  Sometimes even when they do grow back, they don't function, so you still cough.

    He has a new 3mm lung nodule.  The doctor was not concerned about it based on his history of non-cancerous lung nodules in the past and said he will watch it on the scans to make sure it resolves. 

    He has a PET scan scheduled for 8 weeks from now to see if that para-tracheal node is active or not.  If it isn't, he will go back to CT's every 3 months.  If it is, they will surgically remove it and anything else that might be suspicious.

    All in all it was a very good day. 

    Wonderful!!!

    Yes....it was a good day!! :)  And I'm glad you reported back in here with the news. 

    I can say that having a little one coming in and out of the house is an opportunity to pick up all kinds of disease....I swear kids are laden with bugs looking for a new place to land.

    p

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #11
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    LumpinmyThroat said:

    Update

    Hubby had his 4-month post-treatment CT yesterday.  The size of the cancerous node was stable from the last scan and they still believe it to be scar tissue.  The trachea remains clear and healthy.  The growth on his tonsil is a mucus retention cyst.  They said to just leave it alone and don't worry about it.  They also explained why he has a cough that doesn't cease.  Apparently when you have radiation in the tracheal area, the microscopic cilia that are on the lining that normally work to sweep mucus away get burned off and your trachea becomes smooth and "desert-like".  You have to cough to clear normal amounts of mucus as a result of this.  She said the cilia will either grow back in time or they won't.  Sometimes even when they do grow back, they don't function, so you still cough.

    He has a new 3mm lung nodule.  The doctor was not concerned about it based on his history of non-cancerous lung nodules in the past and said he will watch it on the scans to make sure it resolves. 

    He has a PET scan scheduled for 8 weeks from now to see if that para-tracheal node is active or not.  If it isn't, he will go back to CT's every 3 months.  If it is, they will surgically remove it and anything else that might be suspicious.

    All in all it was a very good day. 

    Thanks for the up date.

    Thank you for the update. I'm sorry he has to cough so much. I have COPD so I do understand the coughing. Just some unimportant information I thought I would share. The body produces 1 to 1 1/2 Liters of mucus in 24 hours. Now most of that is in your pulmonary section, lungs and trach, and mouth and nose. The cilia sweep some of it up to the top and you just swallow it and never know it. However, if you had a laryngectomee and your trach is know seperate you can't swallow it and you must cough it out. 

    It's good his doctor explained the cough. Some just say you just do, which is not an answer. All in all, it was a good check up and he's on the right path for the recovery.

    Bill

  • LumpinmyThroat
    LumpinmyThroat Member Posts: 98
    #12
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    :)

    Thank you everyone.  We feel incredibly blessed at this point and are looking forward to more good news in 8 weeks.

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