Enlarged lymph nodes and other neck lumps in children

Extract

• Bilateral lymph node enlargement on the neck is in most cases connected with a viral infection.
• A unilateral lymph node enlargement is often caused by group A beta-haemolytic streptococci.
• The probability of a bacterial infection is high when the lymph node enlargement is unilateral, tender or erythematous, or when a salivary gland is inflamed.
• The child must be referred to a hospital if the general condition is impaired, there is respiratory distress, or the lymph node is fluctuating or it is large and situated in an unusual place (e.g. the subclavicular fossa) or the blood picture is abnormal.
• Refer to a specialist a child with a large (> 2 cm) lymph node that does not decrease in size during follow-up of one month.

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Search terms

A28.1, Cat-Scratch Disease, Child, Erythromycin, I88*, Infectious diseases, L04*, Lymphadenitis, Mycobacteria, Atypical, Neoplastic diseases, Otorhinolaryngology, Paediatrics, R59*, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Toxoplasmosis, antimicrobial therapy, neck lump