Neck lymph node

Swollen Neck Lymph Node: Among the several groups of lymph glands in the human body, the lymph nodes that become enlarged or swollen most frequently are the ones in groin region apart from the neck or in the armpit. A swollen lymph node behind the neck or at the back of the head signifies that the node is responding to a stimulation caused by a foreign substance that ranges from simple viral infections to something as severe as HIV and metastases and uncontrolled, malignant production of lymphocytes that lead to lymphoma or leukemia. In this case, lymph nodes that are less than 1/2 inch across may double or triple in size. An enlarged lymph node behind the neck may also suggest an injury or infection around the scalp, though a cold or a throat infection or a disease like chickenpox can be a cause as well.

Swollen Neck Lymph Node Location: The location of major lymph nodes in the neck region is along the anterior and posterior regions; there’s also another cluster that remains present at the underside of the jaw. Noticeable only when they grow bigger than their normal size and bulge under the skin, a self-performed palpation of both sides of the head proves sufficient to locate one, which could be the Anterior Cervical Lymph Nodes, the Posterior Cervical, Tonsillar, Sub-Mandibular, the Sub-Mental or the Supra-clavicular.

Enlarged Neck Lymph Node: Cancer or Cyst? It’s common to panic at the sight of lumps and swellings in the neck region but simple clinical examinations are often sufficient to exclude or confirm malignancy. While benign, reactive enlarged neck lymph nodes are a common phenomenon among children, in adults, a lump in the lateral neck has a high probability of being cancer unless a biopsy proves otherwise. However, irrespective of a patient being a child, an adolescent or an adult, following are the areas that commonly show the enlargements:

· Jugulo-digastric area or the Tonsillar lymph node: Suggests an infection.

· Posterior triangle: Multiple, small, non-tender nodes indicate a sub-clinical viral infection.

A cyst, on the other hand, could remain present in these regions from the time of birth, the cause being as varied as lymphangioma or cystic hygroma or haemangioma.

A detailed reading is available at http://www.droid.cuhk.edu.hk/web/specials/lymph_nodes/lymph_nodes.htm

Neck Lymph Node: What if swollen at the back of the head? Termed as the localized nodes (i.e. nodes present at a certain location in the body), the lymph glands around the head and neck may grow frequently in response to either individual or combined respiratory infections; reasons may be as trifle as a cat-scratch-fever, mycobacterial infections and toxoplasmosis or as high-rated as tuberculosis or an isolated malignancy. Hard, non-tender, irregular nodes above the collarbone indicate serious disease; if they remain firmly attached to the skin or to the deeper tissues, they are often considered malignant. But tender, inflamed, or rubbery ones represent an infection most of the times. Else, a biopsy of the same after a physical exam and lab test is recommended.