Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
Hi all. I continue to be on malarone 1000 mg a day with 500 mg of zithromax.
Prior to be dx with Lyme I had noticed a cyst on the end of one of my ribs on the right side.
A pulmonologist said that it was nothing, but it all but disappeared while I was on doxy 300 mg a day.
I've had continuous rib pain all over even while on doxy, but have noticed specific sharp pain on the rib where my cyst has now returned.
I also found another cyst on my left side of my rib cage.
The cyst is palpable. Feels like a small grape with fluid in it.
I don't go back to see my LLMD until Jan. 31. Could this be Lyme in it's cyst form?
I am not sore under my rib cage where I suppose my liver is.
I am kind of concerned about this as movement and sometimes breathing is causing some pretty specific pain where the cyst is.
Any advice or suggestions are welcome. Thank you in advance for any help.
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
Hi general
I am no expert but I think the cystic form of bb is microscopic and probably not palpable.
If any consolation I had some small cystists pop up along the way durning treatment but they went away on their own. Good to show you doc them though..
Could it be a lympe node?
Take care
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MagicAcorn
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8786
posted
I would call the doctor and maybe see if you could go in earlier than the 31st.
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Geneal, what you describe sounds like a lipoma, which is normally just a benign fatty tumor. My dog has a bunch of them.
One lady I talked to had hers taken off, and it was full of toxins.
There are have been several discussions here on LymeNet about lipomas - maybe use the search feature and see what you come up with.
I don't understand the pain in your chest/ribs around the area of this cyst, though. Lymies often have rib pain, or costochondritis (inflammation), but I've never heard it associated with lipomas.
Maybe others have some ideas.
Tracy
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
Thanks so much for the responses and info. I did a search on lipomas and saw a lot of similarity there.
It seems to be related to bart. I also called LLMD and am awaiting a call back.
I am not sure if it is my ribs hurting or this possible lipoma. It just hurts.
Thanks again. I really appreciate the info.
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
Costochondritis should be distinguished from Tietze syndrome, a condition involving the same area of the front of the chest.
Costochondritis is not associated with swelling, as opposed to Tietze syndrome where swelling is characteristic.
Tietze syndrome is an inflammation of the costochondral cartilages of the upper front of the chest.
Patients with Tietze syndrome develop tenderness and swelling over the ribs and cartilage near the breast bone (sternum).
Redness, tenderness, and heat can also be present but a localized swelling is the distinguishing finding.
The pain is variable, often sharp, can be confused with heart pain, and can last from hours to weeks.
It can cause difficulty with sleeping and even rolling over in bed is sometimes painful.
Blood testing (Sedimentation Rate or C-Reactive Protein Test) can show signs of inflammation in patients with Tietze syndrome, whereas patients with costochondritis alone typically have normal tests for inflammation.
What is the treatment for costochondritis and Tietze syndrome?
Costochondritis can be aggravated by any activity that involves stressing the structures of the front of the chest cage.
It is generally best to minimize these activities until the inflammation of the rib and cartilage areas has subsided.
Rest, anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and even cortisone injections have been used as therapy for the inflamed, painful cartilage of both costochondritis and Tietze syndrome.
Ice packs applied to local swelling can sometimes help to reduce pain and inflammation. Local lidocaine analgesic patch (Lidoderm) application can reduce pain.
Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology, W B Saunders Co, edited by Shaun Ruddy, et.al., 2000.
Here's a PubMed article:
Clin Rheumatol. 2001;20(4):276-8.
Malignant tumor with chest wall pain mimicking Tietze's syndrome.
Thongngarm T, Lemos LB, Lawhon N, Harisdangkul V.
University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson 39216, USA.
Chest pain is commonly caused by musculoskeletal chest wall disorders. Tietze's syndrome is a relatively rare cause of chest wall pain characterised by non-suppurative, painful swelling of the upper costal cartilages.
The diagnosis should be based on these classic clinical features after excluding other potential causes of pain.
A patient who was diagnosed with Tietze's syndrome but was found to have squamous cell carcinoma of the mediastinum with unknown primary site invading the sternum and anterior chest wall is presented for discussion.
Publication Types: Case Reports
PMID: 11529637 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
I've been having pain on a rib for a couple of months. I've been assuming it's a Lyme thing.
I think mine's probably costochondritis. I don't think I feel swelling, if so, not much. Mine definitely doesn't feel like a cyst.
Best Wishes! Please let me know how you make out.
Hugs & Prayers, Ali
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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Marnie
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 773
posted
Research epidermal langerhans cells.
It all fits.
Believe me.
Posts: 9424 | From Sunshine State | Registered: Mar 2001
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"The combination of seawater baths and solar radiation at the Dead Sea is known as an effective treatment for patients with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Dead Sea water is particularly rich in magnesium ions. In this study we wished to determine the effects of magnesium ions on the capacity of human epidermal Langerhans cells to stimulate the proliferation of alloreactive T cells. Twelve subjects were exposed on four subsequent days on the volar aspects of their forearms to 5% MgCl[2], 5% NaCI, ultraviolet B (1 minimal erythemal dose), MgCl[2] + ultraviolet B, and NaCl + ultraviolet B. Epidermal sheets were prepared from punch biopsies and were stained for ATPase and HLA-DR. Compared with untreated skin, the number of ATPase[+]/HLA-DR[+]Langerhans cells was significantly reduced after treatment with MgCl[2] (p = 0.0063) or ultraviolet B (p = 0.0005), but not after NaCl (p = 0.7744). We next questioned whether this reduced expression of ATPase and HLA-DR on Langerhans cells bears a functional relevance. Six subjects were treated on four subsequent days with 5% MgCl[2], ultraviolet B (1 minimal erythemal dose), and MgCl[2]+ ultraviolet B. Epidermal cell suspensions from treated and untreated skin were assessed for their antigen-presenting capacity in a mixed epidermal lymphocyte reaction with allogeneic naive resting T cells as responder cells. Treatment with MgCl[2], similarly to ultraviolet B, significantly reduced the capacity of epidermal cells to activate allogeneic T cells (p = 0.0356). Magnesium ions also suppressed Langerhans cells function when added to epidermal cell suspensions in vitro. The reduced antigen-presenting capacity of Langerhans cells after treatment with MgCl[2] was associated with a reduced expression by Langerhans cells of HLA-DR and cost-imulatory B7 molecules, and with a suppression of the constitutive tumor necrosis factor-a production by epidermal cells in vitro. These findings demonstrate that magnesium ions specifically inhibit the antigen-presenting capacity of Langerhans cells and may thus contribute to the efficacy of Dead Sea water in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases."
Posts: 294 | From nevada | Registered: Sep 2005
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luvs2ride
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8090
posted
It is amazing how much we all have in common. I have a cyst on my right side at the base of my ribs in back. My husband first spotted it.
The doctor is unconcerned. It frequently itches but seldom hurts.
Truth. How gross to think it is a lump of toxins. ughh!
I have an old Weimereiner dog who is covered with lumps. He is the best dog. If I can be like him, that will be a good thing. We can just be renamed Lumpy and Bumpy. :-)
Luvs
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
One note about costochondritis:
It can be caused by - you guessed it - AN INFECTION. And it seems like a quite a few Lymies have this costo problem.
Luvs, yes it certainly is a bit gross. But what amazed me is that this lady's doc actually thought to check something besides malignancy. Imagine that.
What concerns me about my dog is that for 9 years, I gave him a little bit of canned mackeral every day. He had a beautiful, shiny coat. Then the lipomas started showing up and I immediately thought "mercury". I had my vet draw blood to send off for mercury testing, and they botched the sample at the lab so got no results. I haven't been back yet.
Tracy
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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