Medium urgency
-Moderately severe
Is the inflammation or enlargement of a lymph node. A node is considered enlarged when its diameter is more than 2 cm (0.5 cm in newborn babies).
It is usually caused by a throat, ear, skin, viral or bacterial infection.
The most common symptoms are enlargement and swelling of the node (heat, redness and/or pain in the area). Sometimes there may be an accompanying fever.
The diagnosis is made clinically, by interview and physical examination. Blood tests and ultrasound-guided biopsy of the node may be used to determine the cause.
If the cause is bacterial, antibiotic treatment is prescribed. Anti-inflammatory medication is recommended to reduce local discomfort.
- Rosenberg TL, Nolder AR. Pediatric cervical lymphadenopaty. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2014 Oct;47(5):721-31. doi: 10.1016/j.otc.2014.06.012. Review.
- Dulin MF, Kennard TP, Leach L, Williams R. Management of cervical lymphadenitis in children. Am Fam Physician. 2008 Nov 1;78(9):1097-8. Review.
- Friedmann AM. Evaluation and management of lymphadenopathy in children. Pediatr Rev. 2008 Feb;29(2):53-60. doi: 10.1542/pir.29-2-53. Review.
- Melenotte C, Edouard S, Lepidi H, Raoult D. Diagnosis of infectious lymphadenitis. Rev Med Interne. 2015 Oct;36(10):668-76. doi: 10.1016/j.revmed.2015.04.004. Review.
- Leung AK, Robson WL. Childhood cervical lymphadenopathy. J Pediatr Health Care. 2004 Jan-Feb;18(1):3-7. Review.
Dr. Maria Trabazo
Copyright© TeckelMedical 2026
