Swollen glands in the neck are quite a common problem in children. The lymph nodes help the body fight infections. They exist throughout the body, including in the neck, as part of the lymphatic system. Several conditions may cause lymph nodes in the neck to become swollen. Some of these conditions are benign; others are malignant. When lymph nodes become enlarged, it's called lymphadenopathy. Swollen glands in the neck always require thorough evaluation by a trained physician to elucidate the cause and institute the appropriate treatment.
Infectious Causes
Perhaps the most common cause for enlarged neck lymph nodes is an acute infection involving the upper respiratory tract. Viruses and bacteria may account for this. Swelling resolves when the infection is cured. Infectious mononucleosis is a common disease, caused by a virus, which presents with swollen neck lymph nodes.
Some chronic, life-threatening infections also cause enlarged lymph nodes--namely, tuberculosis and HIV.
Occasionally, neck lymph nodes may become enlarged as part of general enlargement of lymph nodes throughout the body. Diseases such as Cat scratch disease, toxoplasmosis and brucellosis are examples of such conditions. Another important infectious cause of lypmhadenopathy is a dental abscess.
A hallmark of Kawasaki disease (a viral illness that occurs only in children) is swollen neck lymph nodes.
Malignant Causes
Lymph nodes can also be affected by cancer. Cancers of the neck may spread to nearby lymph nodes and cause them to become enlarged. Occasionally, the neck lymph nodes may develop a type of cancer called a lymphoma. Leukemia, a type of cancer of blood cells, often presents with enlarged lymph nodes as a symptom as well.
In malignancies, enlarged lymph nodes are just one of a constellation of symptoms.
Less Common Causes
Adverse drug reactions may present with lymphadenopathy as part of a myriad of symptoms and signs.
Neck lymph nodes may become enlarged as part of a generalized enlargement of nodes in storage disorders such as Niemann-Pick disease (a disorder in which the body does not store lipids appropriately, leading to deposition of lipids in various organs and organ enlargement) and Gaucher's disease (similar to Niemann-Pick disease).
References
- Burton, M. et al Diseases of the Ear, Nose and Throat
- Leung AK, Davies HD. Cervical lymphadenitis: etiology, diagnosis, and management
