ABSTRACT
Any enlargement or protuberance of body tissue is usually called a swelling. A thorough history and clinical examination should precede imaging studies. Salient points in the history are onset, duration, number, and progression of swelling along with the history of associated symptoms like pain, loss of function, etc. General physical examination tells us about the systemic effects of the swelling or any underlying chronic ailment. Local examination is focused on identifying the tissue of origin and infiltration of surrounding tissues (skin, nerves, muscles, joints, etc.) with resultant effects like muscle wasting, nerve palsy, and funagation. The regional nodal basin is always examined in suspected malignant and infective swellings to look for possible spread/involvement.
