Lymphadenopathies: An annoyance or not?

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cases hospitalized with lymphadenopathy in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics, lymph node involvement regions, infection markers and their diagnoses.
METHODS: The medical records of 56 children with lymphoadenopathy were reviewed retrospectively in the Ege University, Children's Hospital, General Pediatrics Unit between 2014 and 2017. Demographic characteristics, clinical findings, and accompanying complaints of the cases were examined. Laboratory tests including complete blood count, sedimentation rate, and other biochemical parameters were measured. Lymph nodes were assessed via Ultrasonographic examination in terms of distribution, number, size, and structure. Lymph node regions were described as anterior and posterior cervical, supraclavicular, submandibular, axillary, epitrochlear, inguinal and popliteal. Laboratory results, microbiological studies and histopathological examination results of the patients were evaluated.
RESULTS: Among the 56 patients enrolled in the study, 31 (55.4%) were male, 25 (44.6%) female and the median age was 3.7±7.1 years. The most frequent involvement location of the enlarged lymph nodes was the cervical area. Others settled the axillary, inguinal, supraclavicular region. The median results of the white blood cell, C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were 13,670±9760/mm3, 1.9±5.4 mg/dl, and 42±51 mm/h, respectively. Ultrasonographic evaluation showed that lymph nodes were diagnosed with reactive hiperplasia in 69.6%, suppurative lymphadenopathy in 23.2%, and suspected malignancy in 7.1%. Most of the cases with lymphadenopathy resulted from a benign condition.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Lymphadenopathy is a common complaint of childhood, mostly benign. The etiology should be elucidated using full history, careful physical examination, follow-up, laboratory, and imaging methods. A good physical examination and following-up the clinical features of the lymph node are more important than the laboratory and imaging methods. If there is no change in lymph node size in the follow-up, further studies should be performed.