• Autoimmune diseases, cancer, and other disorders of the thyroid gland, such as goiter due to iodine deficiency, can cause enlargement of part or all of your thyroid gland.
• Viruses, such as mumps, can make your salivary glands enlarged.
• Injury or torticollis can cause a lump in your neck muscles.
• Other benign neck masses include branchial clefts, thyroglossal duct cysts, dermoids, salivary masses, or ranulas.

Cancer
Most neck lumps are benign, but cancer is a possible cause. For adults, the chance that a neck lump is cancerous increases after the age of 50. Lifestyle choices, such as smoking and drinking, can also have an impact.

Prolonged use of tobacco and alcohol are the two greatest risk factorsTrusted Source for cancers of the mouth and throat, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Another common risk factor for cancers of the neck, throat, and mouth is a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This infection is generally transmitted sexually, and it’s very common. The ACS states that signs of an HPV infection are now found in two-thirds of all throat cancers.

Cancers that show up as a lump in the neck could include:

• thyroid cancer
• cancers of the head and neck tissues
• Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• leukemia
• other types of cancer, including lung, throat, and breast cancer
• forms of skin cancer, such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma

Viruses
When we think of viruses, we commonly think of the common cold and the flu. However, there are plenty of other viruses that can infect humans, many of which can cause a lump in the neck. These include:

HIV
herpes simplex
infectious mononucleosis, or mono
rubella
tonsillitis
viral pharyngitis

Bacteria
A bacterial infection can cause neck and throat problems, leading to inflammation and a neck lump. They include:

infection from atypical mycobacterium, a type of bacteria most common in people with compromised immune systems and lung disease
cat scratch fever
strep throat
tuberculosis
bacterial pharyngitis
Many of these infections may be treated with prescription antibiotics.

Other possible causes
Neck lumps might also be caused by lipomas, which develop under the skin. They may also be caused by a branchial cleft cyst or thyroid nodules.

There are other, less common causes of neck lumps. Allergic reactions to medication and food can cause neck lumps. A stone in the salivary duct, which can block saliva, can also cause a neck lump.

Conditions that cause neck lumps, with pictures
Many conditions can cause neck lumps. Here is a list of 19 possible causes.

Warning: graphic images ahead.

Swollen lymph nodes

Lymph nodes become swollen in response to illness, infection, medications, and stress, or, more rarely, cancer and autoimmune disease
Swollen nodes may be tender or painless, and located in one or more places throughout the body
Small, firm, bean-shaped lumps appear in the armpits, under the jaw, on the sides of the neck, in the groin, or above the collarbone
Lymph nodes are considered swollen when they are larger than 1 to 2 cm in size