While this can be frightening to patients and should always be checked out, the most serious cause, cancer, should not be suspected right away. These bacteria can provoke tenderness and warmth of the lymph nodes and erythema and edema of the surrounding tissue. However, localized condition may also point to progressive systemic disease in some cases.Īcute bacterial infections, especially with Staphylococcus aureus or group B of Streptococci, are very often seen to cause benign lymphadenopathy. Localized enlargement of a lymph node or local cluster of lymph nodes is generally associated with acute medical abnormalities, like an infection of the area of the body which this lymph node drains. Common Causes of a Benign Enlargement of the Lymph Nodes What parents should know is that benign problems related to enlargement of lymph nodes usually last for 4 to 6 weeks, while progression of the symptoms or persistent enlargement of lymphadenopathy could indicate a malignant change. In children, lymphadenopathy should be diagnosed fairly quickly. The duration of this condition is usually the predominant factor in making treatment decisions. Metastasis of neoplastic changes in the body (more precisely the neoplastic cells carried through the lymph or blood flow), some neoplastic proliferation of macrophages or lymphocytes, such as leukemias and lymphomas and storage disorders when the macrophages filled with metabolite deposits infiltrate the lymph node may also provoke malignant enlargement of a lymph node. The causes of benign lymphadenopathy are usually an immune response to some infection in the body (which can be of fungal, bacterial, or viral origin) and infections of the lymph node. The enlargement of one or multiple lymph node(s) is a very common problem in children. Additionally, there are “shotty” lymph nodes in the human body, which may become palpable after a viral infection.
There are benign causes of lymph node enlargement, and also those of a malignant nature. This condition is known as lymphadenopathy and may be caused by many different things.
Lymph nodes and the lymph inside are responsible for the detection and removal of infectious organisms and other debris, and as the result of their primary action, these lymph nodes may become enlarged. There are about 600 lymph nodes spread throughout the human body.