Lymphadenopathy: Differential Diagnosis And Evaluation

Lymphadenopathy: Differential Diagnosis And Evaluation

• Acute lymphadenitis
• Chronic non-specifi lymphadenitis
• Tuberculous lymphadenitis
• Infectious mononucleosis
• Toxoplasmosis
• Cat scratch fever.

• Metastatic lymph node enlargement
• Lymphomas, i.e Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Burkitts lymphoma
• Chronic lymphatic leukemia.

• Autoimmune diseases, i.e. systemic lupus erythematosus,rheumatoid arthritis.
• HIV infection, Immunosuppression.

• It is a bacterial infection leading to acute inflmmation and suppuration of lymph nodes caused by group A streptococci or staphylococci.
• There is presence of tender, enlarged, fim or soft palpable neck lymph nodes.

• Infections such as chronic tonsillitis, recurrent dental
• infection can lead to chronic non-specifi lymphadenitis.
• There is presence of fim, non-tender, multiple, bilateral lymph node enlargement in neck.
• Tuberculous lymphadenitis
• It is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
• Lymph nodes are mattd, enlarged with cold abscess or sinus formation.

• Caused by Epstein-barr virus.
• There is presence of generalized lymphadenopathy.
• Monospot test is positive.

• Caused by Toxoplasma gondii, protozoa through meat.
• Cervical lymphadenopathy is most common.
• Diagnosed by Sabin Feldman dye test.

• Caused by Bartonella henselae.
• Lymphadenopathy is present.
• Diagnosed by lymph node biopsy with Warthin-Starry staining.

• In Hodgkin’s lymphoma, there is painless progressive enlargement of lymph nodes.
  Lymph nodes are smooth,firm, non-tender. In this cervical lymph nodes, i.e. lower deep cervical group in posterior triangle are commonly enlarged.
  In this type, peripheral lymph node involvement is not common.
• In non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma any group of lymph node is involved. In this type, peripheral lymph node involvement is common.