Lumps and Bumps Ultrasound in London
Found a lump? The scan that names it — cyst, lipoma, lymph node, or something that needs more — with the answer explained on screen, at the appointment, the same week you found it.
- Soft-tissue lumps anywhere: trunk, limbs, neck, armpit, groin
- Size, structure and blood flow documented, both sides compared
- The screen narrated so you see the reassuring features yourself
- Findings explained at the scan; written report usually within two hours
- No GP referral required — self-refer today
CQC-registered clinic · Provider ID 1-2775844974 · HCPC-registered sonographers
What is a lumps and bumps ultrasound?
A focused soft-tissue ultrasound of a lump you can feel. The lump is measured, its internal structure assessed, its blood flow examined with Doppler, and its relationship to surrounding structures documented — then, where useful, compared with the matching spot on the other side. No preparation, no needles, no radiation: thirty minutes, and usually a name for the thing that has been worrying you.
Why might I need a lump or swelling scanned?
Because a lump you can feel but cannot name is a special kind of torment — and the waiting is usually worse than the answer. People come to us with soft-tissue lumps anywhere: under the skin of the trunk, arms and legs, in the armpit, around the neck, in the groin — new lumps, growing lumps, tender lumps, or old lumps that changed.
The overwhelming majority turn out benign. The purpose of the scan is to say so with evidence, or to catch the exception early. Further reading: armpit lump — lymph node, lipoma or cyst?
A lump is hard, fixed, rapidly growing, or comes with unexplained weight loss, night sweats or fever. A red, hot, intensely painful swelling may be an abscess needing same-day treatment. For breast lumps, see our breast lump guidance — and any breast lump should also be examined by your GP.
- Lipomas
- Epidermoid and sebaceous cysts
- Ganglia near joints
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Abscesses and collections
- Size in three planes
- Internal structure
- Blood flow on Doppler
- Depth and relations
- Comparison with other side
Is this scan suitable for me?
A lumps and bumps scan is the right booking if any of these sound like you:
- ✓You have found a lump under the skin that has lasted more than a couple of weeks
- ✓A long-standing lump has changed in size, shape or tenderness
- ✓You have a swelling in the neck, armpit or groin you want named
- ✓You would rather have evidence than keep checking it every night
And when it is not the right booking
The lump is within breast tissue — that needs the specialist breast pathway, and our breast guidance page explains exactly what to do instead.
It is red, hot and intensely painful — that may be an abscess needing same-day treatment from your GP or urgent care rather than an imaging appointment.
Not sure whether your lump fits this scan? Call and we will tell you honestly.
What happens at the scan?
No preparation — just wear something that uncovers the lump easily.
- 1
Locating and measuringYou show us the lump, and it is measured in three planes so any future comparison is meaningful.
- 2
Reading the structureFluid-filled or solid, sharply defined or infiltrating, uniform or complex — the features that separate the common benign lumps from the rest.
- 3
Doppler assessmentBlood flow within and around the lump is examined, since vascularity is one of the features that changes the interpretation.
- 4
Comparison and contextDepth, the structures it sits against, and where useful the matching spot on the other side.
How we handle the “is it cancer?” moment
Tackled head-on rather than left hanging, because that is the question you actually came with.
Benignity you can see
A simple cyst and a soft lipoma have unmistakable ultrasound appearances. We point them out on screen as we scan, so reassurance arrives with evidence attached rather than as a verdict you have to trust.
The honest limit, stated
If a mass is solid, highly vascular or atypical, we say plainly that ultrasound shows the structure — only a biopsy can tell us what the cells are doing. Your report then routes you to exactly that, at the right urgency.
Lymph nodes have architecture
Nodes are not simply enlarged or normal. Their internal architecture distinguishes a reactive node from a suspicious one, and that assessment is part of every relevant examination.
What do the results mean?
You leave knowing what we saw. The written report follows usually within two hours, with the three pathways set out in our follow-up care.
Should I just wait and see?
Many lumps do settle on their own. But a lump that persists beyond a couple of weeks, grows, or simply worries you deserves an answer rather than a vigil.
The scan usually ends the worry the same day — and where it does not, it starts the right pathway immediately instead of months later.
Name the lump. End the worry. Same-week appointments usually available.
Why patients choose IUS London for this
The anxiety is part of the presentation. We treat it that way.
Narrated, not pronounced
You watch the reassuring features appear on screen rather than waiting for a verdict in a letter.
Honest about biopsy
Where cells matter more than structure, we say so plainly and route you there rather than implying certainty ultrasound cannot give.
Same-week answers
A lump found on Sunday should not wait a month. Appointments are usually available within days.
Impostors identified
Hernias masquerading as lumps, vascular structures and reactive nodes get correctly named instead of wrongly referred.
Why do patients choose IUS London?
Rated 4.9 across 308 Google reviews:
“Yianni was very helpful, knowledgeable and put me very much at ease. I will be going back and very much recommend.”
— Google review
“The staff were professional and made me feel comfortable. Highly recommend it!”
— Google review
“Amazing service. If you are looking for a clinic … this is the place to go.”
— Google review
Lumps and bumps — your questions answered
How much does it cost to get a lump scanned?
Can ultrasound tell if a lump is cancer?
Should I just wait and see if it goes away?
Can you scan more than one lump?
Do you scan children’s lumps?
Do I need a referral?
Other general ultrasound scans we offer
Hernia Ultrasound
The is-it-a-hernia question settled dynamically — standing, coughing, caught in the act.
View service →
Kidneys, Ureters & Bladder
The full urinary tract, including how completely your bladder empties.
View service →
Breast Lump Pathway
We do not currently offer breast scanning — here is exactly what to do instead, fast.
View service →
Further reading: armpit lump — lymph node, lipoma or cyst? · which scan do I need?
Where can you get a lump checked in London?
At IUS London — our CQC-registered clinic in Kensington, three minutes on foot from Notting Hill Gate station (Central, Circle and District lines).
5a Lucerne Mews, Kensington, London W8 4ED
30-minute appointments — same-week availability usual
0203 051 6506 · Directions & parking
Getting here is the easy part
By tube: Notting Hill Gate — three minutes on foot.
By bus: Routes along Notting Hill Gate and Kensington Church Street stop nearby.
By car: On-street parking nearby — full options in directions & parking.
Name the lump. End the worry.
Same-week answers, narrated on screen, documented within about two hours. Self-refer today — no GP letter required.
Kensington, London W8 4ED
3 mins from Notting Hill Gate
Written and clinically reviewed by the HCPC-registered sonographers who perform this scan at IUS London — a CQC-registered diagnostic ultrasound clinic (Provider ID 1-2775844974). Your own findings are explained to you at the scan and set out in your report.
Author: Yianni Kiromitis, Senior Sonographer, HCPC RA38415
Medically reviewed: 26 July 2026