Axillary cording - axillary web syndrome

[Brkchey]

Hi all,

I hope someone had this before, a male, because I am only encountering this problem in females after breast surgery, due to scaring.

So, it looks like this

Story:

I was doing pull ups taht day in my garage. Was incredibly hot inside, like in sauna so I was sweating like a pig (I usually sweat a lot). So I was hanging off of a bar and was doing little bit of violent stretching in between the sets, then I felt this piercing pain under the armpit. Wasn't first time, but next morning I had a lump in that place, so I blamed it on blocked sweat gland, since I was heavy on deodorants lately.
It was hard then softened with little puss but not much. Now, after a month it's still there but smaller and since it's shrinking few days ago from the same lump started to show that string leading down the inner arm to the elbow with stinging pain when trying to extend the elbow or put the arms above head. When I lift arm above head I see this string in the armpit. It's thin, like a very small tendon.

So, basically, it started as an axillary lymph node swelling then transformed into axillary cording.

I'm using some sort of anti-inflamation cream for the lump but nothing else. I found on net that women are taking physiotherapy for this kind of issue. No other solution exists.

Please comment if you have any experience, thanks.

Edit: I found this thread where few male patients report same occurence, but sadly without any solution ...
http://www.lymphedemablog.com/2011/0...-web-syndrome/

[Brkchey]

Back with progression on the therapy. I was prescribed 3 weeks of agressive antibiotics - 2 packs of clavulonic acid+peniciline and 1 pack of ciproflaxacine. It really helped immediately to release the tension and pain. Seems that lymphatics were heavily clogged with all kind of junk bacteria.

Node is now almost disappeared and strings in arm are still visible and can't extend arm fully above the head (about 5% left). No pain until stretching and massaging, but I need to do it as prescribed to get my mobility back. I can do the pull ups and chin ups again without pain except for lower extreme portion in left arm.

I hope it will recover eventually fully, so far it goes fine. I am positively sure taht antiperspirants are to be blamed and I will avoid them like a plague. Need to find alternative.

[Knight237]

Back with progression on the therapy. I was prescribed 3 weeks of agressive antibiotics - 2 packs of clavulonic acid+peniciline and 1 pack of ciproflaxacine. It really helped immediately to release the tension and pain. Seems that lymphatics were heavily clogged with all kind of junk bacteria.

Node is now almost disappeared and strings in arm are still visible and can't extend arm fully above the head (about 5% left). No pain until stretching and massaging, but I need to do it as prescribed to get my mobility back. I can do the pull ups and chin ups again without pain except for lower extreme portion in left arm.

I hope it will recover eventually fully, so far it goes fine. I am positively sure taht antiperspirants are to be blamed and I will avoid them like a plague. Need to find alternative.

Hi Brkchey,

I hope you are doing fine. Can you tell me how's your coring now? did it disappear? where you able to continue working out?
I am having the exact same problem and I am worried that the cording will go away and would turn to be something chronic.

Thanks

[qal1h]

I seem to have had a similar experience.

Armpit was already tiny bit sore and hard to touch in a specifc spot. Hanging off pull up bar, felt like something ripping away. I think I have this issue AWS, not sure what to do, have pretty much full range of motion. Only when stretching out far is there little pain from stretching the "cord". Will see the GP (doctor) tomorrow see what he says.

Thanks for the post, provides some useful details to discuss with the doc.

Any update on this from OP?

[qal1h]

So I found this:

europepmc.org/articles/PMC5178020;jsessionid=4694AC765A1C61983E511B6D8ABA D5B8

Atypical presentation of axillary web syndrome (AWS) in a male squash player: a case report. A fascinating article published in the The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. It talks about a rare case of a male with this issue. Rare to them maybe, seems little less so considering the few people here who have experienced this. Anyway it discusses the probably causes and possible solutions.

A really useful case study, on how it happened, why it might have happend, context on this individual male it happened to. I personally believe like OP it might be due to an infection that cause the region to be susceptible to this maybe, spoke to GP he's referred me to an MRI, not quite convinced this is quite necessary. But it will give an idea of what exactly tore apart, what is this mystery cord?

[r3pnIt]

Wanted to bump this thread . I’m having similar issues . I had 2 painful lumps under each armpit . Went away after 1 course of antibiotics . The cord is still present under only 1 armpit . Painful to extent elbow and reach to the sky

[Joenon]

Glad to find this thread because I appear to have AWS Cording too.

I'm not a bodybuilder, but a long distance runner who has been heat training here in Texas for an ultra-marathon in Tennessee this July. Two weeks ago I set out on a self-supported 40 mile run wearing a heavy hydration pack containing 4 liters of water and other items. Despite carrying all this water I ended up dehydrated (the "feels like" temperature was over 100 degrees) and I spent a miserable night cramping, mostly in my legs, but also, jaws, fingers and abdomen.

A day later I'm taking a shower and feel this weird spaghetti like cord sticking out from my right armpit. There was no pain associated with the cord and there was no cord under my left armpit. I thought perhaps during one of my cramp attacks that I had pulled something in my upper arm or chest.

A week later the armpit cord was still present when I set out on another long, hot run carrying my heavy hydration pack along with an ample supply of electrolytes. Yay, no cramping! But the next day I reach for an item on a shelf and ouch. The damn spaghetti cord had grown. It now extended through the inside of my right elbow. There's no pain when my arm is folded, but when I stretch the arm there is a sore tightness on the inside of the elbow and the cord is very visible.

I began Googling and that's when I discovered AWS Cording, a condition associated with breast cancer and lymph node removal. It apparently is very rare to find AWS Cording in healthy males.

A have not seen a doctor (yet). I'm assuming what happened was that the lymph nodes or lymph vessels in my right armpit were damaged by the shoulder strap of my heavy hydration pack. From what I've read the condition, in most cases, will resolve itself in a few weeks. It's thought that exercise and massage of the arm might be helpful. I'm taking a wait and see approach. If the cording is still present my summer's end or if it grows (AWS cording can apparently extend all the way to the base of the thumb) or if it becomes generally painful then I will consult a physician.

I will keep you updated.

[Joenon]

Update: A couple of days after I made the above post, I noticed that the cord in my right armpit was fading. The cord on the inside of my right elbow was still very pronounced and there was discomfort/tightness every time I reached for something with my right arm. The tightness extended all the way to the top of my right wrist, although I could not see or feel any cording in my wrist.

Over the last few days the cording on the inside of my elbow has also faded and the tightness/discomfort when reaching is gone. I can still see and feel a slight ridge in my right armpit and inside elbow, but if I didn't know that cording had once been there, I doubt I would have notice anything unusual.

I never did consult a physician or take medication. The condition seems to have resolved itself in about 6-7 weeks. If anything changes I will let you know.

Hope this was helpful.

[sec22839]

Thanks for sharing - I am currently experiencing this cord in my armpit going down to my elbow. All the research said it was mainly happening to women post mastectomy. It’s nice knowing that it’s also common in men. Will go to doctor tomorrow since my lymph nodes are also enlarged and see if any meds will help both. Thank you