We all know that most lumps and bumps are not serious, but that doesn’t stop us worrying when one appears, especially if it appears ‘below the belt’. It is important to get things checked out, so don’t use this chapter as a substitute for the real thing. Go to the doctor if you find something that has changed.
Here are some of the likely causes of the problem. Some are infections, some are not.
Warts. Genital waits are a common reason for attending the doctor’s surgery saying ‘I’ve found a lump’. These are painless, skin-coloured growths, usually in clusters, and varying in size from tiny (pin-head size) to bigger (pea-sized). They may cause the area to feel itchy or irritated. They are the result of a viral infection, which can be spread by sexual contact. The warts themselves are not dangerous, and can be treated with various methods. The virus cannot be eradicated with medication, which is why these things have a tendency to recur.
The only problem with having genital warts (apart from the fact they are a bit yucky, like warts anywhere else), is that there is thought to be an association between wart virus and the development of abnormal pap smears. Women who have had genital warts should make certain they have regular yearly pap smears.
Sebaceous cysts and boils. Sebaceous cysts are usually small painless lumps just under the skin. They often have a tiny little ‘punctum’, which it like a little hole. Inside these cysts is a collection of white cheesy stuff, called sebum, which is an oil made by the skin cells. The sebum drainage system gets blocked, and it builds up into a cyst, or lump beneath the skin. They can be anywhere on the body, and can sometimes grow quite large.
Sebaceous cysts may sometimes become infected, which will lead them to become painful, red, bigger, and sometimes discharge pus (that is, they become boils or abscesses). If this happens they may be treated with antibiotics and drained, by a doctor making a little cut, under local anaesthetic, and letting the pus out. Occasionally they disappear on their own. Sometimes they are cut out if they are annoying, becoming infected, or growing bigger. Sebaceous cysts do not develop into anything else (apart from boils, and sometimes scars), and they do not become cancerous.
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