I was just told my mri showed inflammation of the lump i found in my armpit. and now i have to see a surgeon. what could it be? the lump was just found 2 weeks ago and wasnt defined enough on ultrasound so mri was ordered

A : A lump in the armpit can be many different things including cyst, lipoma (fatty tumor), or enlarged lymph node. Inflammation of a lymph node is non specific but may be due to infection. Other possibilities include malignant and benign tumors including lymphoma, metastasis (tumor spread from other primary neoplasm), sarcoma, and others. A biopsy is usually advised and can be done by a surgeon or by a radiologist using a small needle guided by ultrasound.

See below: It's hard to say without knowing the specifics. An inflammatory lump in the armpit is usually in inflammed lymph node, particularly if it's painful. Cancer cannot be excluded and probably is the reason for surgical referral. If it goes away in a short time, it's probably an inflammed lymph node. If not, your dr/surgeon may recommend biopsy.