CAUSES OF CERVICAL LYMPHADENOPATHY
Acute:
- Acute bacterial lymph node inflammation.
- Acute lymphatic leukemia.
- Acute infectious mononucleosis – Epstein Barr Virus.
Chronic:
I. Inflammatory:
- Nonspecific chronic pyogenic lymphadenitis.
- Specific
- Tuberculosis.
- Syphilis.
- Sarcoidosis.
- Brucellosis.
- Fungal disease.
II. Neoplastic:
- Primary Lymphoma.
- Lymphosarcoma.
- Reticulum cell sarcoma.
- Chronic lymphatic leukemia.
- Burkitt’s lymphoma.
- Metastasis from neoplastic lesions from oral cavity and larynx.
III. Autoimmune:
- Systemic lupus erythromatosis.
- Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
a) Acute
-Septicemia
-Infectious Mononucleosis
b) Chronic
-Tuberculosis
-Syphilis
a) Hodgkin’s disease.
b) Lymphosarcoma.
c) Lymphatic leukemia.
Diagnosis:
- Routine blood and X ray tests.
- Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology.
- Excision Biopsy of the swelling if required.
- CT scan to show the extent and consistency of the lymphadenopathy.
Levels of Cervical lymph node
Level | Lymph nodes | Boundaries | |
I | A | Submental nodes | Bilaterally: Anterior belly of digastric |
B | Submandibular nodes | Superiorly: Mandible | |
II | A (Anterior to the vertical line in relation to spinal accessory nerve) | Upper internal jugular (deep cervical) nodes | Superiorly: Skull base |
B (Posterior to the vertical line in relation to spinal accessory nerve) | |||
III | Mid internal jugular (deep cervical) nodes | Superiorly: Inferior border of hyoid bone and carotid bifurcation | |
IV | Lower internal jugular (deep cervical nodes) | Superiorly: Inferior border of cricoid cartilage and Junction of omohyoid and IJV | |
V | A (Above the horizontal plane marking the inferior border of arch of cricoid cartilage) | Posterior triangle (spinal accessory) nodes | Superiorly: Convergence of SCM and trapezius |
B (Below the horizontal plane marking the inferior border of arch of cricoid cartilage) | |||
VI (Prelaryngeal or Delphian, Pretracheal, Paratracheal, Prethyroidal) | Anterior compartment (midline) nodes | Superiorly: Hyoid bone Inferiorly: Suprasternal notch Bilaterally: Carotid arteries | |
VII | Upper mediastinal nodes | Below suprasternal notch |