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Childhood Illnesses
and Conditions
: Enlarged Lymph Nodes in Children
What are lymph nodes?
Lymph nodes are responsible for protecting the body against infection,
and as all lymph tissue, which includes tonsils and adenoids,
they tend to increase in size during childhood and then shrink
and become less numerous as a child reaches adolescence.
Where are lymph nodes found?
The most common area that we see lymph nodes in is the neck area,
usually the region under the jaw and sometimes in the back of
the neck. Lymph nodes can also be felt or noticed at the area
of the back of the head, called the occipital area (especially
in babies) and at times, right behind the ear. Although the most common site for lymph nodes is in
the head and neck area, they can also be found in the groin and
armpit areas.
What causes enlarged lymph nodes?
Most of these lymph nodes feel like small peas, but can get bigger
usually as a reaction to a nearby infection. For example a child
with a throat infection will usually have enlarged nodes in the
neck area. A child with a skin infection around the thigh may
have enlarged nodes on the same side in the groin or inguinal
area. This enlargement means that the lymph nodes have "reacted"
to a local infection to help fend it off. As a reflection of a
local infection, nodes get bigger, then shrink as the infection
clears. This cycle can continue a few times during childhood.
Can enlarged lymph nodes be a serious problem?
In general physicians can tell if the nodes are following a normal
pattern, based on their size, texture(or feel) and location. A
possible, yet infrequent complication of an enlarged lymph node
is bacterial infection of the node itself known as "adenitis".
In this case one can easily tell that there is an infection as
the node becomes very big, tender, painful and is quite red. In
some cases there may even be associated fever. How are these treated?
When the infection is small and detected early enough, antibiotics
taken by mouth are usually prescribed. In other cases, the child
may need to be admitted to hospital for intravenous antibiotics
and possibly to drain the infected node (which usually contains
pus).
When to worry?
Of course not all bumps are nodes, and while most visible/noticeable
nodes are not worrisome, in rare cases the cause may be more serious
like cancer (lymphoma). This is why lymph nodes persisting in
an enlarged form or getting bigger beyond a 6-week period are
usually removed (biopsy) and examined microscopically. Happily,
this is not what usually happens, as most noticeable lymph nodes
in children are not serious and shrink or go away on their own.
Other Childhood Illnesses
and Conditions |
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The information provided in this site is
designed to be an educational aid only. It is not intended to
replace the advice and care of your child's physician, nor is
it intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. If
you suspect that your child has a medical condition, always
consult a physician.
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