My sister-in-law has a hard knot on her head (the upper part near the back) . Its been there over a year and is slowly getting larger. She doesn’t remember hurting her head and has no idea how or why it is there. Could you tell me what is causing this and if it is serious. If age is a factor she is 41. She hasn’t seen a doctor as she doeasnt have insurance. Thank you.

Any mass of unknown origin that is growing warrants a clinical examination. Common things being common, the mass could possibly be a lipoma, leiomyoma, fibroid tissue growth, or a cyst. While all the above listed conditions are benign, the possibility of the mass being a malignancy cannot be ruled out. Therefore, a careful clinical exam by a physician is warranted to rule out the possibility of a life threatening condition and, if clinically indicated, additional studies such as imaging or biopsy might be necessary.

On the topic of insurance, most public hospitals have clinics set up for patients without insurance. If your sister in law doesn’t have insurance and is a candidate, then the option of those clinics should be explored.