Colli Tumors Characterized by Lumps Around the Neck

Colli tumors are tumors that originate from and grow around the neck. The word colli comes from Latin which means "neck". Colli tumors or tumors in the neck are characterized by lumps around the neck. The lump could be large until clearly visible, or small to often ignored its existence.

Abnormal Cell Growth

Under normal conditions, the body regulates the growth and division of new cells to replace cells that have died. If the balance between cells that grow and die is disturbed, there is a risk of tumor appearance. Generally tumors arise when body cells grow and divide excessively. Tumors are divided into two, benign (benign) and malignant (malignant) tumors that can cause cancer. Lumps that grow on the neck, some classified as benign tumors that do not cause cancer. However, a lump in the neck can become serious if there is an infection or a malignant tumor that is not immediately treated properly. In adults, lumps in the neck have different characteristics, namely soft, hard, or painful and painless. Lumps tend to be easily recognized if they appear on the skin or tissues and organs around the neck. The location of the lump plays an important role in determining the type and cause of the disorder. The human neck consists of tissues, muscles, and organs so that the location of a lump can be very diverse, which can originate from the thyroid gland, neck muscles, lymph nodes, trachea, larynx, salivary glands, or some arteries and veins. Unfortunately, colli tumors not only affect adults, but also children, even newborns. Colli tumors that attack newborns are called fibromatosis colli. This condition causes swelling of the sternocleidomastoid muscle or muscle in the anterior layer, which is the front part of the neck muscles. The cause of fibromatosis colli is not known with certainty, but is usually caused by trauma or injury to the birth process.

Recognize Possible Causes

Common causes of colli tumors or lumps in the neck can be caused by swollen lymph nodes. Lymph nodes consist of cells that protect the body from infection and malignant cells that cause cancer. The swelling generally occurs when the body tries to fight the infection that occurs when someone falls ill. Swollen lymph nodes are also caused by conditions such as strep throat, tonsillitis, mouth and dental infections, sinus infections, ear infections, and bacterial infections of the scalp. In addition to swollen lymph nodes, the following diseases can also cause a lump in the neck:

• Viruses such as mumps cause swollen salivary glands.
• Neck injuries, or torticollis (stiff neck muscles) can cause lumps in the neck muscles.
• Autoimmune diseases or diseases that attack the immune system, thyroid gland abnormalities such as mumps.

Diagnosis and Form of Treatment of Colli Tumors

Determination of the diagnosis of colli tumors is assessed starting from chronological / history of the appearance of complaints, a history of previous illnesses and diseases in the family that may be related, and then followed by a physical examination. From there the doctor may continue with other investigations, to support the diagnosis. Tumors in the neck need to be treated immediately when attacking newborns. The first treatment measure for fibromatosis colli is to diagnose the disease through ultrasound (USG). Diagnosis with ultrasound can show a synchronous picture, directly from a lump in the neck at a moment's notice. Besides ultrasound, medical imaging tools such as CT scans or MRIs are sometimes used to find out more deeply the characteristics of the disease. Other tests that may be performed are biopsy, which is done by taking samples from the tumor, and then examined in the laboratory, to determine clearly, the cause of the tumor to the cellular level. Handling colli tumors in adults has similar stages to tumors in general. The form of tumor management is based on factors such as the location of the tumor, the type of tumor, and whether it is likely to cause cancer or not. Colli tumors require treatment if they cause interference with the organs around the neck or have the potential to develop into malignant tumors. Tumors that are likely to become cancerous need to be treated, which is generally surgery, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or radiation therapy, or targeted cancer therapy. All types of lumps in the neck, including colli tumors, should be immediately consulted by a doctor to ascertain the cause and appropriate treatment.