Enlarged lymph nodes, called lymphadenitis, can be inflammatory in nature, which is more common in young people, and non-inflammatory. In addition, the increase can be local and generalized. It is important to establish the nature of the changes in the lymph nodes, which is necessary for the diagnosis of various diseases. From another point of view, painful and painless lymph nodes are distinguished. If a change in the nodes is observed only in one area and is painful, then the range of possible diseases is narrowed sharply, since we can talk about acute lymphadenitis, indicating an inflammatory process in the nearby area. If the large lymph nodes on the neck are painless, then this most often indicates a recent inflammatory process, a chronic infection or tumor metastasis.
One of the most common, and often the first localizations of changes in nodes is the neck.
Lymph nodes on the neck can be enlarged and painful with acute or exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis, inflammation of the pharynx due to banal viral infections, as well as scarlet fever and diphtheria, which occur with the formation of plaque. It is necessary to remember the possibility of tonsil carcinoma, in which metastases to the lymph nodes on the neck are very dense.
The increase in lymph nodes in the neck located in its upper part may be associated with an inflammatory process in the teeth, periostitis, gingivitis, and local inflammation.
In acute lymphadenitis, the regional lymph nodes are characterized by moderate density and soreness and the presence of the entrance gate of infection. In severe cases, redness of the skin over the enlarged lymph nodes, hyperthermia, changes in the analysis of blood in the form of leukocytosis and an increase in ESR are observed. In severe cases, abscessing is possible with the development of fluctuations, that is, softening of the lymph node as a result of accumulation of pus, with subsequent opening and the formation of fistulas.
Chronic non-specific lymphadenitis is manifested by scarred lymph nodes that form after acute inflammation. They are dense, do not hurt on palpation, usually small. Such lymph nodes on the neck do not change over time, limited to the neck area. Most often they are associated with acute inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx.
Large peripheral lymph nodes are observed in various infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, brucellosis, toxoplasmosis and other infections. These diseases are diagnosed taking into account the characteristic features of the clinical symptoms obtained from additional studies.
With a generalized increase in nodes on the neck, whole packets of glands of a larger or smaller size are formed. The disease begins with a regional enlargement of the lymph nodes, which soon turns into generalized. Cervical localization is also observed in some acute and chronic leukemia, lymphogranulomatosis, syphilis and other pathologies.
If enlarged lymph nodes in the neck are detected , treatment should be carried out only after determining the cause of this symptom. With an increase in nodes due to inflammation, it is necessary to prescribe antibacterial, anti-inflammatory therapy, dry heat. With a specific inflammation that develops with tuberculosis or other infections, appropriate etiotropic treatment is prescribed. Malignant diseases in which the lymph nodes in the neck are determined require surgical interventions, chemotherapy and course radiation.