Ask a doctor on the topic of Otorhinolaryngology

Unilateral indentation in the anterior palatal arch.

April 15, 2014 | 30,00 EUR | answered by Christian Welsch

For almost 3 months, I have had swollen lymph nodes on one side of my neck.

For this reason, I have already been to the doctor 3 times. After a comprehensive blood test and an ultrasound, I was told that these lymph nodes were not suspicious and that everything was in perfect order.

However, I also have a unilateral depression in the front of my soft palate and the feeling that there is a foreign body below this area (between the soft palate and tongue).

My doctor did not attach much importance to this statement. My doctor also looked into my mouth/throat and did not see anything unusual.

I then noticed at home that when I stick out my tongue (the way the doctor looked into my mouth), the mentioned area disappears behind a fold and is not visible at all.

My question: Did my doctor overlook something or is such a depression harmless? Does it make sense to go to another doctor again or am I being overly cautious?

The pictures show the area on my right side (from my perspective).

Thank you for your response.

Christian Welsch

Dear inquirer, I see nothing concerning in the photos. I recommend that you have your throat checked by an ENT doctor, who can use a small endoscope to look around the corner and see if there is an organic cause for the sensation of a foreign body. One possible cause could be a tonsil stone, which can form from thickened secretions in the tonsils. Do you have any questions? Regards, C. Welsch