Swollen lymph nodes
| Lymphadenopathy | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Neck lymphadenopathy associated with infectious mononucleosis | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Infectious disease |
| ICD-10 | I88, L04, R59.1 |
| ICD-9-CM | 289.1-289.3, 683, 785.6 |
| DiseasesDB | 22225 |
| MedlinePlus | 001301 |
| eMedicine | ped/1333 |
| MeSH | D008206 |
Lymphadenopathy or adenopathy is disease of the lymph nodes, in which they are abnormal in size, number, or consistency. Lymphadenopathy of an inflammatory type (the most common type) is lymphadenitis, producing swollen or enlarged lymph nodes. In clinical practice, the distinction between lymphadenopathy and lymphadenitis is rarely made and the words are usually treated as synonymous. Inflammation of the lymphatic vessels is known as lymphangitis. Infectious lymphadenitides affecting lymph nodes in the neck are often called scrofula.
The term comes from the word lymph and a combination of the Greek words αδένας, adenas ("gland") and παθεία, patheia ("act of suffering" or "disease").
Lymphadenopathy is a common and nonspecific sign. Common causes include infections (from minor ones such as the common cold to dangerous ones such as HIV/AIDS), autoimmune diseases, and cancers. Lymphadenopathy is also frequently idiopathic and self-limiting.
By size, lymphadenopathy in adults is present when the short axis of one or more lymph nodes is greater than 10mm. In children, a short axis of 8 mm can be used.
Lymph node enlargement is recognized as a common sign of infectious, autoimmune, or malignant disease. Examples may include:
Less common infectious causes of lymphadenopathy may include bacterial infections such as cat scratch disease, tularemia, brucellosis, or prevotella.
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