Just below my right ear and under the skin there is a walnut sized lump. at times there is a dull ache. should i get itremoved it was biopsed ten years ago and not cancerous.

One : One would not recommend surgery until you knew what the diagnosis was. For instance we have seen enlarged intraparotid lymph nodes as part of lymphoma which is a systemic disorder not treated surgically. On the other hand, benign and resectable malignant neoplasms of the parotid gland are treated surgically. If the skin is freely mobile over the mass this would argue agasinst an epidermal cystic cause. You best bet is to have a proper exam (probably ENT in this case) who will likely perform fine needle aspiration (fna) and can submit this for cytologic analysis and flow cytometry if lymphoma is suspected. I don't know your age, historical progression of the mass or other associated symptoms so i obviously can't offer better insight other than to tell you most of these masses are statistically benign but a walnut size mass in your face defininitely needs to be evaluated.Depending on depth, you may even require an imaging study (ct/mri).

The : The short answer is "yes". This needs to be examined by an ENT surgeon. There are few possibilities. The most likely is that it is a benign tumor of the saliva gland in front of the ear, called the parotid gland. Some 85% of tumors of this gland are benign. They slowly grow over time, and as they get bigger, they get a little harder to remove. The tricky part in removing them is that the facial nerve runs right through the middle of the gland. During surgery, the nerve has to be found where it exits the skull, then followed out to the gland and removing the tumor while leaving the nerve alone. Again, the bigger the tumor, the trickier it is not stretching or cutting the nerve, so removing the tumor when it is smaller is better. Also, sometimes benign tumors of the parotid gland suddenly start to grow quickly. This could mean the benign tumor has transformed into a cancer. Pain in a tumor in this area can sometimes mean the tumor is growing into the nerve, which suggests that the tumor is not benign. There are other possibilities for what the mass is in the first place, such as an epidermal inclusion cyst, which is a blocked skin gland, full of cheesy pus. They are more likely to ache. You should go see an ENT surgeon in the next couple of weeks.

See your doc: If the lesion is causing continued you pain, that could be a reason to have it removed. Has it changed any recently? Has it ever drained anything?