Years ago I posted a question in the old forum, asking if anyone had had an experience similar to mine.  Before any pain or headaches, a hard lump appeared on the back of my neck, where the neck meets the skull (the Occiput).  Doctors said, "There is nothing there, so don't worry about it."  The headaches started months later, and the rest is history.

Someone posted links to a couple of similar forum posts from years past, and it turned out that other people had experienced similar lumps, which they called "cluster bumps."  CH sufferers described lumps either on the occiput, like mine, or right in front of the ear, or more rarely in the roof of the mouth.

I'm wondering if anyone has found, since then, a cause or treatment for these "cluster bumps," because I've recently been undergoing a series of peripheral nerve surgeries as a last-ditch effort since all other standard CH therapies have failed to provide significant relief.  To keep friends & families informed, and to provide info to any other migraineurs or cluster headache patients considering the same surgery, I've been writing a personal blog about my experiences and the results so far (The jury is still out on that).

During the first surgery, the surgeon said that the lymph nodes that run parallel to the greater occipital nerve along the back of my skull to my neck were hardened and wrapped around my nerves like a clenched fist.  He cut some out, detangle them, and decompressed the area.  It seems like this would be related to that first lump that appeared there back in 2000.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing here is that Google tells me that the top search phrases that are leading people to my blog are "occipital lymph node", "occipital lymph nodes", "suboccipital lymph node", and similar searches, even though I barely mentioned those in passing on the blog.  So I'm just wondering if any new research or treatments have come out regarding lymph nodes on the skull compressing nerves and being one possible cause of cluster headaches?

That's interesting. I would definitely say I have a cluster lump on the right side of the base of my skull top of my neck...

interestingly ive noticed this too on the left side of the top of the back of my neck (right where my skull meets my neck), and it comes with a VERY sore feeling.  Occuring around the time of a headache

I also have had this a few years durring my cycle. Upper neck, base of skull..cluster side of head. It swells and tightens up durring attacks. It feels like it is spewing out poison into the surrounding muscles. crazy.

I have the cluster bump on the back of my neck/base of my skull. I too have heard of the 'cluster bump' for several years and have heard it discussed by many on different occasions. Although I have no evidence or links supporting this next statement, but I do believe that I was once told that this 'bump' is from the use of steroid medications which I have used a lot over the past 20+ years. I am also willing to admit that steroid medications may not have a thing to do with this 'cluster bump' that many sufferers report. Since so many sufferers report this, I would be interested in knowing what is really going on, what is causing this 'bump', and if there is a way to prevent it from happening or to get rid of it once a person has it.

Imitrex4Breakfast

For those of us that get the bump. Do your muscles tense towards the base of the skull during an attack? Do you find relief by working the tense muscles back into position. Does it feel like there is air in the muscles? Does your lump turn bright red during high cycle, then scab and disappear out of cycle? I have often wondered if a researcher took a needle and pulled a sample of the fluid in the lump, during an attack, that it would help to peg the kind of fluid being shot into the system during a cluster. Stop the fluid and stop the cluster. :D

Way back at the Vancouver OUCH meeting, Dr. Robinson stated in passing, inflamed occipital nerve ganglion, as an explination for the lump in the back of the neck.

Many years ago I had these bumps as well.  Haven't had them at all since I started psychedelic therapy for the clusters.  Still get hit (but not nearly as hard) but the cluster lumps are a thing of the past for me.

-Ricardo

Explain these bumps.how big are they?do they come before or during CH ?

weird. i've had a bump on the back of my neck right under the skull, right beneath my hair line as long as i can remember. Dr. always told me it was harmless/nothing. now a CH sufferer as of this year.