Types of Cysts on the Back: What to Know

An epidermoid cyst can form beneath the skin and may feel like a round, mobile lump. A pilar cyst is similar but develops from a hair follicle. A fatty lump, inflamed abscess, or another growth can feel alike, so touch alone cannot confirm the cause. A ganglion cyst is usually linked to a joint or tendon sheath and is more typical near the wrist than the back, despite the wording sometimes used in searches.

A cyst may stay quiet, become tender after friction, or grow inflamed with redness and drainage. [Wrist Pain](/symptoms/wrist-pain/) is more relevant when the lump is near the wrist rather than the middle or lower back.

Do not squeeze, pierce, or repeatedly massage the lump, because this can irritate the skin and introduce infection. Note when it appeared, whether it changes size, and whether it is painful or draining. A clinician may inspect it and decide whether observation, imaging, drainage, or removal is appropriate. [Joint Aspiration](/treatments/non-surgical-orthopedics/joint-aspiration/) and [Ganglion Cyst Removal](/treatments/reconstructive-orthopedic-surgery/ganglion-cyst-removal/) are procedure names that apply to selected fluid-filled lumps, not every back cyst.

Arrange prompt assessment for a lump that grows quickly, becomes hot or very painful, drains pus or blood, or is accompanied by fever. Seek urgent help for severe pain with weakness, new numbness, or loss of bladder or bowel control. Even without these symptoms, a firm, fixed, recurrent, or unexplained lump deserves a clinical examination.

Ask what features suggest a skin cyst rather than an abscess or another lump, whether the area should be scanned, and whether leaving it alone is reasonable. Ask how to care for the skin, what recurrence could mean, and which changes should bring you back.