Lymphadenopathy

Classification according to ICD-10
R59.-	Enlargement of the lymph nodes
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

The lymphadenopathy is the pathological swelling of the lymph nodes . In humans , healthy lymph nodes are 0.5 to 1 cm in diameter and up to 2 cm on the neck and groin. Everything larger is considered to be pathological.

Lymphadenopathy is a symptom of the following diseases, among others :

• Reactive lymph node swelling = lymphadenitis
• Neoplasms :
  • Hodgkin's disease
  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  • Metastases
• Sarcoid
• Histiocytosis
• HIV infection
• syphilis
• Infectious mononucleosis
• rubella
• in children: juvenile idiopathic arthritis

The use of certain medications can also lead to swelling of the lymph nodes.

Classification

Lymphadenopathies can be divided into the following categories:

localization

• palpable: submandibular, cervical, supraclavicular, axillary, inguinal
• not palpable: mediastinal, abdominal, biliary

Degree of spread

• regional
• generalized

Dignity

• benign
• malignant

Causes / differential diagnoses

A multitude of possible causes can be considered, which of course also leads to a multitude of differential diagnoses.

Infections

• regional: streptococci , staphylococci
• generalized: viral infections such as B. mononucleosis , cytomegalovirus , rubella and human immunodeficiency virus or bacterial, by mycobacteria (TBC), toxoplasma or borrelia

Diseases of the lymphatic system

• Leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis

Rheumatic diseases

• Sarcoid, adult Still's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, Kawasaki syndrome

Metabolic diseases

• Gaucher disease (lysosomal storage disease), Niemann-Pick disease (sphingolipidase, lipid storage disease)

Congenital or acquired immunodeficiency

• Omenn syndrome (combined T and B cell defects), autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS - immune dysregulation), AIDS

Environmental factors

• exogenous allergic alveolitis and pneumoconioses (such as silicosis, berylliosis and asbestosis)

See also

• Lymphangitis
• bubonic plague

literature

• S1- Guideline Lymph Node Enlargement of the Society for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (GPOH). In: AWMF online (as of 2012) (The guideline relates to lymph node swelling in children and adolescents)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Alphabetical directory for the ICD-10-WHO version 2019, volume 3. German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI), Cologne, 2019, p. 520

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !