Lymphadenopathy of the inguinal lymph nodes is a disease in which there is a change and a violation of their normal functioning. The most common cause is infectious agents. Inflammation can occur in nodes located in any part of the body. Together with them, the adjacent lymphatic vessels can become inflamed .
The common cause of the inflammatory process in women is the penetration of pathogens. In this case, infection can enter the body internally and externally.
Many people wonder where the lymph node in the groin of a woman is. They are located in the folds of the groin, in close proximity to the organs of the genitourinary system.
The external path of penetration is understood to mean damage to the skin (scratches or wounds) through which pathogens enter the bloodstream. With the internal pathway, the infectious agent penetrates the blood through unprotected sex or through the respiratory tract. In this case, inguinal lymphadenopathy is a reaction to another disease.
Causes of occurrence
Conventionally, all the causes of lymphadenopathy of the inguinal lymph nodes can be divided into several subgroups, each of which includes certain diseases leading to this pathology.
Penetration of an infectious agent directly through the damaged skin of the feet, legs and buttocks:
- Scratches or wounds resulting from an injury or bite of an animal (including erysipelas).
- Damage to the skin against the background of diaper dermatitis (is the most common cause of lymphadenopathy in children).
- Furunculosis, which is an inflammatory process that affects the hair sacs located in the epidermis of the buttocks.
- As a result of BCG vaccination (previously such cases were often recorded, in connection with which this vaccine is currently allowed to be done exclusively on the shoulder). When the lymph nodes in the groin are enlarged, the causes of this phenomenon should be determined by the doctor.
Diseases that are provoked by pathogenic microorganisms that enter the body through the mucous membranes:
- Inguinal lymphogranulomatosis.
- Erysipelas.
- Gonorrhea.
- Syphilis.
- Yersiniosis.
- Borreliosis
- Herpes.
- Cytomegalovirus infection.
- Infectious mononucleosis.
Also, lymphadenopathy (ICD-10 code: R59) can provoke inflammatory processes in the genitals, joints, and oncological diseases.
Symptomatology
The common symptoms for men and women of lymphadenopathy of the inguinal lymph nodes resulting from infection through the wounds of the lower extremities are as follows:
- There is an increase in the size of the lymph node to 1 cm in diameter.
- Sensitivity appears, sometimes soreness, if a lymph node is palpated.
- In the area of the inflamed lymph node, redness of the skin is observed.
- The local and general temperature rises.
Most often there is lymphadenopathy of the inguinal lymph nodes in women. The node is inflamed on the side on which the damage is located.
Sodoku
Sodoku, which is an infectious disease with a specific character, develops as a result of a bite by rodents, for example, rats. The first symptoms usually occur 2 weeks after the indicated episode, in rare cases - on the same day.
The disease develops very rapidly. Lymph nodes can increase in size up to 8 cm, the skin above them does not change color, palpation causes pain. The mobility of the nodes is observed, their shape is round, they increase on the side where the bite occurred. Body temperature with sodoku can significantly increase, up to 39 degrees Celsius.
Epstein-Barr virus
When Epstein-Barr virus enters the body, infectious mononucleosis develops. Against the background of this disease, there is an increase not only in inguinal, but also in other lymph nodes, including the occipital and cervical. Lymph nodes in the groin on both sides significantly increase in size. The increase process begins on the first day of infection. Their size can reach three centimeters.
A characteristic feature of infectious mononucleosis is the formation of a chain of several inflamed nodes. On palpation, a dense structure of the nodes, their mobility, is detected. In this case, pain is felt slightly. The skin located above the nodes do not change their color, however, the occurrence of slight swelling is not excluded. Such signs allow the specialist to easily identify the disease and distinguish it from other pathologies that provoke lymphadenopathy.
What is a cytomegalovirus infection? With this pathology, a picture similar to mononucleosis is detected: an increase in the groups of lymph nodes occurs. However, the difference is still present: with cytomegalovirus infection, the lymph nodes located in the groin increase less noticeably than others. Most often they have a size of not more than 1 centimeter. Palpation reveals their elasticity, while soreness is moderate. Puffiness is absent, skin integuments retain their color.
If lymphadenopathy of the inguinal lymph nodes occurs as a result of herpes simplex of the second type, then the lymph nodes increase moderately, on one or both sides. They are not dense to the touch, their consistency resembles a dough, their mobility is preserved, and moderate pain is manifested. Suppurations and signs of inflammation on the skin are not observed.
Borreliosis
With borreliosis, unilateral inflammation of the lymph node often occurs if a tick bite falls on the thigh or lower body. Enlarged lymph nodes are up to two centimeters in size, and therefore they are easily detected during a routine examination.
Palpation of inflamed nodes allows you to detect their mobility, soreness. They are densely elastic in structure. The temperature and color of the skin in the area of inflammation maintain their normal state. Purulent inflammation is not characterized by borreliosis. In parallel with the increase in the size of the lymph node, excessive redness occurs in the place where the bite occurred.
Yersiniosis
Against the background of yersiniosis, lymphadenopathy develops extremely rarely. Several lymph nodes in the groin located next to each other are affected immediately. In addition, the cervical lymph nodes become inflamed, their size when enlarged is not very large, can reach as little as 1.5 cm. When palpating, a slight soreness, elastic consistency is found.
Inguinal lymphogranulomatosis
Inguinal lymphogranulomatosis is a disease that is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse. Against the background of this disease, the development of the inflammatory process in the inguinal lymph nodes is very often observed.
The development of the disease can go in two ways:
- With a mild infection, lymphadenitis manifests itself after 2 months.
- With severe infection, an increase in inguinal lymph nodes in women and men is observed after a week.
With inguinal lymphogranulomatosis, inflammation of the node occurs on one side. The peculiarity of this disease is that lymphadenitis develops simultaneously in several lymph nodes. With palpation at the initial stages of the disease, a dense-elastic consistency of the nodes and their full mobility are detected. Over time, the changed nodes are combined into a single hilly conglomerate having an uneven surface. When probing, severe soreness is detected. The skin in the area of this conglomerate is thinning and acquiring a red tint. In places of thinning, the skin can break through, through the formed breakouts, pus begins to stand out. It is in this way that a fistula (fistula) forms, which takes on a chronic form of flow.
Erysipelas
Another reason for the development of lymphadenitis can be erysipelas. This is due to the characteristic ability of erysipelas to affect the lower extremities. On palpation, an elastic consistency of nodes, pronounced soreness, is detected. At the same time, their mobility is maintained; there is no adhesion to surrounding tissues. The skin located above the lymph nodes does not change, their color and temperature remain normal.
Other reasons
Another cause of lymphadenitis is syphilis. If the genital organs are the entrance gates of the infection, then the lymph nodes become inflamed more often on both sides. This symptom of the disease is detected about a week after infection.
The main feature of lymphadenitis against syphilis is the absence of classical symptoms of the inflammatory process, that is, sharp pain, swelling, redness are not observed.
Changes of a pathological nature appear immediately in the group of nodes. Moreover, one of them has a larger size than the others. Palpation allows you to detect tenderness of the nodes, their densely elastic consistency. At the same time, their mobility is fully preserved, the shape is round or oval, the size can reach 2.5 centimeters.
Lymphadenopathy (ICD-10 code - R59) with gonorrhea always occurs on both sides. There is an increase in the size of the lymph nodes to 2 centimeters. To the touch they are dense, severe soreness is manifested.
Lymphadenitis on the background of gonorrhea is accompanied by the development of the inflammatory process in the adjacent lymphatic vessels, which upon palpation look like sharply painful and dense cords.
Now it is clear what lymphadenopathy of the external and inguinal lymph nodes is.
Features of inguinal lymphadenitis in women
Quite often, inguinal lymphadenitis in women develops against a background of various gynecological diseases, such as:
- Tumor masses in the genitals, in particular, in older women.
- Bartholinitis, which is an inflammatory process localized in the glands of the labia.
- Peritonitis, which is an inflammatory process in the peritoneum that covers the appendages and uterus.
- Endometritis, which is an inflammation of the uterus.
- Adnexitis is an inflammatory process that affects the tubes and ovaries.
Most of the inflammation mentioned above occurs with a small number of symptoms, has a chronic form. Most often, a woman does not even pay attention to the first signs of the disease. In this connection, a visit to a doctor occurs at a time when the disease is already moving into an advanced stage. However, with a proper and careful attitude to the state of health, the pathology can be detected at the very initial stages of development. In this case, such diagnostic tests as comprehensive studies for infections, cytological, histological analyzes, ultrasound, and vaginal examination will be indispensable.
Where the lymph node in the groin is located, a woman may not know. In rare cases, inflammation is observed during pregnancy. It is most often associated with a purulent process on the skin of the legs or bartholinitis. Diagnosis can be made through a simple visual inspection.
In what cases is lymph node removal performed? About it below.
Call to a specialist
If in the inguinal region one or more rounded formations were discovered independently, then you should contact a specialist. The patient may be misled by the absence of signs such as pain, redness, fever. Despite this, a visit to the doctor should not be postponed. Doctors do not get tired of repeating that each disease develops according to its own scheme and may not have classical symptoms.
Thus, the inflammatory process in the lymph nodes is a significant reason for contacting a qualified specialist. However, the patient should know which doctor should be visited. Depending on the causes of lymphadenitis, the help of the following doctors may be necessary:
- Gynecologist or urologist.
- Dermatovenerologist (if there are signs of a disease that could be obtained through sexual contact).
- Oncohematologist (if there are changes in the composition of the blood).
- Surgeon (in the presence of a visually detectable abscess of large size).
- Infectionist (if there are clear signs of an infectious pathology).
If the patient has doubts in determining the specialist who should be visited, and the cause of the disease remains unclear, then a therapist will be a win-win option. He will be able to conduct an initial examination, according to the results of which he will give a recommendation to the patient which particular doctor should be visited.
Before starting treatment for lymphadenopathy of the inguinal lymph nodes in men and women, a comprehensive diagnosis is carried out.
Diagnostics
At the initial stages, the diagnosis is based on interviewing the patient, collecting his complaints, general examination, conducting a general clinical blood test, palpation.
A competent specialist will definitely find out from the patient information about the presence of injuries of the lower extremities, unprotected sexual contacts. Has the patient recently suffered from inflammation of the nasopharynx, have rats or ticks bitten him.
After the initial diagnosis is established, additional specific studies may be required that will reveal the nature of lymphadenitis. Among them:
- The study of seeding purulent discharge.
- Biopsy.
- PCR diagnostics.
- Blood test for the presence of antibodies.
- Smears from the mucous membranes.
Ultrasound of the inguinal region is also an effective study, which gives an idea of changes in the tissues of the affected lymph nodes, the nature of these changes. If there is a suspicion of inguinal lymphadenopathy in women and men, first of all, a specialist should exclude such an emergency surgical pathology as inguinal hernia. If the latter is confirmed, then the patient is shown immediate surgical intervention.
Inguinal Lymphadenitis Therapy
How to treat lymph nodes in the groin in men? Therapy can be general, specific, surgical.
Under general therapy is meant the relief of the symptoms of the inflammatory process. In this case, the patient should adhere to the following recommendations:
- It is important to observe bed rest.
- Diet, light meals should be preferred. From the diet, it is necessary to exclude high-calorie and fatty dishes.
- It is recommended to take antibiotic drugs that will eliminate the infection. While the exact cause of the disease has not been identified, the use of antibiotics with a wide spectrum of action is allowed.
In addition, painkillers, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin complexes can be prescribed. It is strictly forbidden to warm the affected area.
Specific therapy refers to the elimination of the cause of lymphadenitis. The specialist prescribes treatment after receiving the results of laboratory diagnostics and confirming the diagnosis.
Most often, specific therapy involves the use of highly targeted antibacterial drugs, immunoglobulins, and antiviral medications.
Surgical therapy to remove lymph nodes is prescribed extremely rarely, it is indicated if purulent lymphadenitis, necrosis of the node and nearby tissues are observed. An autopsy can also be performed with bartholinitis, which has passed into the stage of an abscess.
Forecast
With inguinal lymphadenitis, the prognosis is positive, if the cause of inflammation is accurately determined, and treatment is started in a timely manner.
Nodal enlargement persists for a long time with infectious mononucleosis, erysipelas, inguinal lymphogranulomatosis (if it is complicated by purulent fistula), sexually transmitted diseases.
For other reasons, timely therapy can eliminate the signs of lymphadenitis quite quickly.
Prevention of inguinal lymphadenitis involves:
- Protected sex.
- Measures to increase general immunity.
- Prevention of trauma to the skin on the lower extremities.
- Careful, and most importantly - timely treatment of skin lesions.
We found out that this is lymphadenopathy.