Cervical lymphadenopathy Flashcards
What is the definition of cervical lymphadenopathy?
Disease of the cervical lymph nodes
How common is cervical lymphadenopathy?
Annual incidence of 0.6-0.7% has been estimated for the general population
What is the pathology of cervical lymphadenopathy?
- Lymph nodes drain tissue fluid and are involved in immune defence
- Lymphatic vessels in the head and neck = superficial and deep
- Cervical lymph nodes in the neck = superficial and deep
- Superficial = anterior superficial nodes collect lymph from superficial surfaces of the anterior neck, posterior lateral lymph nodes collect from superficial surface of neck
- Deep = drains head and neck via superficial lymph nodes
What are the risk factors/aetiology of cervical lymphadenopathy?
- Recovering from URTI
- Reactive lumpjadentitis
- Rubella
- Glandular fever
- Enteric fever
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Thyroid cancer
- HIV
- Hepatitis
- Traveller = TB
What are the signs/symptoms of lymphadenopathy?
- Lump – firm, soft, irregular, smooth, fluid filled, fixation, tenderness, size (>2cm is a concern)
- Unintentional weight loss - cancer
- Night sweats - cancer
- Appetite loss - cancer
- Hepatosplenomegaly
- Fever
- Generalised itch
- Alcohol induced lymph node pain
- Stridor – emergency
- Dysphagia to solids/liquids with signs of aspiration – emergency
What diseases present similarly to cervical lymphadenopathy?
- Subcutaneous lesions e.g. lipoma, abscess
* Other neck lumps e.g. thyroid lumps, cysts, salivary glands
What investigations are carried out on someone with cervical lymphadenopathy?
- FBC
- Blood cultures
- WCC
- CRP
- LFTs
- Temperature
- HIV test
- Monospot test
- Biopsy/aspiration
- X-ray
- US
What are the surgical treatments for cervical lymphadenopathy?
- Excision
- Drainage
- Radiotherapy
- Chemotherapy
What are the pharmacological treatments for cervical lymphadenopathy?
- Antibiotics
* Antivirals
What are the non pharmacological treatments for cervical lymphadenopathy?
• No treatment – will go away by itself
