Pain Management Health Center

Armpit Conditions

• Hyperhidrosis: Excessive sweating, which often affects the armpits and hands. The cause is unknown; the perspiration is not due to anxiety or stress.   
• Irritant contact dermatitis: Skin inflammation (redness, swelling, pain, or heat) caused by an irritating substance touching the skin. Soaps, deodorant, alcohol, and dry air may all cause irritant contact dermatitis of the armpit.
• Allergic contact dermatitis: An allergic reaction to something directly touching the skin, usually causing redness and small blisters. Irritant contact dermatitis affects the armpit more often than allergic contact dermatitis.
• Psoriasis: The armpits are often affected by psoriasis, a condition causing red plaques with a silvery scale to appear on the skin. Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition, meaning it is caused when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues.
• Acanthosis nigricans: A skin disorder causing velvety, light brown to black markings on the skin of the armpits, neck, groin, and/or under the breasts.
• Tinea corporis (ringworm): A fungal infection of the uppermost layer of the skin (epidermis). Ringworm often creates a ring-shaped rash, although no worm is involved.
• Tinea axillaris: A term occasionally used for ringworm affecting the armpit.
• Candidiasis (yeast infection): A skin infection by the yeast Candida, causing irritated skin with white plaques. Candida grows best on warm, moist skin, and may affect the armpits.
• Intertrigo: A condition in which moist, warm skin becomes irritated and often mildly infected. Redness, itching, and burning of the skin in the armpits are common symptoms of intertrigo.
• Armpit abscess: When infected fluid (pus) collects in the armpit. The bacteria Staphylococcus is the most common cause.
• Hidradenitis suppurativa: A long-term (chronic) condition causing red, tender bumps in the skin of the armpits and/or groin. The bumps often turn into abscesses and can cause scarring over time.
• Erythrasma: A long-term (chronic) skin infection caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium. The infection causes red-brown, irritated patches of skin in the armpits or other moist areas of skin.
• Armpit boil (furuncle): A skin infection of a single hair follicle and surrounding skin. It causes a painful, red lump on the skin, which may grow into an abscess.
• Armpit folliculitis: Inflammation of the hair follicles, usually caused by bacterial infection. Most folliculitis is mild and goes away without specific treatment.
• Axillary lymphadenopathy: Enlargement of the lymph nodes of one or both armpits. The swelling may be caused by infection, cancer, or other causes and may be detected during a doctor’s examination or on imaging tests.
• Armpit skin tags (acrochordons): Harmless, small flaps of skin that commonly occur on the neck or armpits. Skin tags are more common with older age.