The term "adenopathy of the lymph nodes" refers to a pathological condition characterized by a change in shape and an increase in the size of one or at once a whole group of clusters that are part of the vascular system. In most cases, the disease does not occur on its own, but develops against the background of an ailment that is a provoking factor. With timely treatment, the prognosis is usually favorable. Ignoring the problem can lead to complications that endanger the life of the patient.
Development mechanism
The lymphatic system is similar in structure to the nervous and circulatory. Outwardly, it resembles the roots of trees. A feature of the lymphatic system is that it unites disparate organs into one whole. In addition, it is responsible for removing excess fluid, toxic compounds, and pathogens from tissues. It is also involved in transporting vital substances and strengthening the immune system.
Lymph nodes are located throughout the body. Separate groups of clusters are localized in the axillary zones, neck, groin. At the same time, a slight increase in lymph nodes (less than 1 cm in diameter) is not an alarming sign. A similar situation can occur in a he althy person, which is associated with the flow of physiological processes in the body.
Under the influence of various adverse factors, a significant increase in lymph nodes (1 cm in diameter or more) can occur. At the same time, during palpation, it is possible to detect clusters that have changed in size in only one zone or several at once. In the first case, it is customary to talk about localized adenopathy of the lymph nodes, in the second - about generalized.
The disease develops as follows: a small amount of plasma and pathogens that enter the body penetrate into the biological fluid circulating in the clusters. In this case, the lymph nodes must clear it of harmful compounds before it enters the central venous bed. Pathogens, on the other hand, can infect clusters (as a rule, this happens when the body's defenses are weakened) and remain in them, carrying out their vital activity. At this time, the lymph nodes begin to increase in size, forming an immune response and trying to cope with foreign agents. Often, the clusters become sore. The clinical picture directly depends on which area of the body is affected.
According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), lymphadenopathy is assigned the code R59.
Reasons
Pathology is rarely independent. Lymphadenopathy is a disease that most often develops against the background of other ailments that have served as provoking factors.
Main causes of pathology:
- Different kinds of infection. Most often, patients have stomatitis, pharyngitis, tooth abscess, HIV, tuberculosis, mononucleosis, toxoplasmosis, and STDs as the main disease. Less commonly, the cause of infectious lymphadenopathies is cytomegalovirus, brucellosis, histoplasmosis, plague, tularemia, rat-bite fever, paracoccidioidomycosis. In most cases, clusters located on the neck are affected, less often in the groin area, the area above the collarbones. In the presence of HIV infection, adenopathy of the lymph nodes is generalized.
- Neoplasms. The disease develops against the background of leukemia, lymphoma, as well as tumor metastasis.
- Pathologies of a systemic nature: lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, Kawasaki disease.
- Taking certain medications. The use of medicines, the active substances of which are allopurinol, atenolol, carbamazepine, quinidine, captopril, phenytoin, often leads to an increase in lymph nodes. Also, the pathology develops against the background of taking antibiotics belonging to the following groups: penicillins, cephalosporins, sulfonamides.
- In women, the cause of the disease is often the installation of silicone implants in the mammary glands.
The lymphatic system is directly involved in the formation of the immune response upon admission tothe body of various foreign agents. That is why its involvement in the pathological process can occur for many reasons, the main of which are inflammatory and infectious diseases, as well as various types of tumors.
Tuberculosis, oncological pathologies and HIV are illnesses that pose a danger to the life of the patient. However, most often, adenopathy of the lymph nodes is diagnosed in patients with less threatening conditions.
From the point of view of the mechanism of the development of the disease, it does not matter what kind of provoking agent entered the body. This is due to the fact that the nature of changes in the node structure is always the same.
Symptoms
The clinical picture of the disease directly depends on its form, the individual characteristics of the human body and the underlying pathology. In some cases, the defeat of even one node may have a stronger intensity of manifestation than changes in the whole group of clusters.
There is such a thing as "reactive lymphadenopathy". This is a severe form of the disease, in which there is a significant deterioration in the patient's condition. He is worried about fever, chills, increased sweating, local hyperemia and soreness. If untreated, there is a violation of the integrity of the tissues of the affected lymph node. At the same time, inflammatory elements are carried throughout the body with blood flow, provoking the development of generalized sepsis.
First of all, with lymphadenopathy, there is an increase in nodes in size. It is important to understand that their normalparameters for different parts of the body are different.
The clinical picture and the severity of symptoms of inflammation of the lymph nodes in each case are different. They directly depend on the accumulations in which zone are involved in the pathological process. Types of disease:
- Cervical lymphadenopathy. The most common form of the disease. The knot is well palpable. It has a bumpy surface and a dense texture. The skin immediately above the knot becomes red and tight. The patient feels unwell, signs of an allergic reaction may occur. Nodes are painful. If they are filled with purulent contents, fever is added to the general symptoms of cervical lymphadenopathy. There are several groups of nodes in this zone. Most often inflamed: parotid, occipital, submandibular. Adenopathy of the lymph nodes in the neck most often develops against the background of infectious diseases. Less commonly, it occurs due to oncology and autoimmune pathologies.
- Axillary lymphadenopathy. The disease is accompanied by an increase in nodes, which immediately acquire a cone-shaped form. In addition, patients have the following symptoms: a general deterioration in well-being, excessive sweating (usually during a night's rest), a sharp decrease in body weight, fever, rashes on the skin, local redness, swelling in the area of accumulations. It is important to know that adenopathy of the axillary lymph nodes is a benign pathology in most cases. However, sometimes patients are also diagnosed with cancer.
- Lymphadenopathy of the mediastinum. Most often develops after pneumonia. Common symptoms of adenopathy of the intrathoracic lymph nodes: pain, cough, shortness of breath, drooping of the upper eyelid, discomfort when food passes through the esophagus, fever, general weakness, headache, itching of the skin. The disease can be both benign and malignant.
- Retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. A feature of this type of disease is the fact that enlarged lymph nodes cannot be detected during a superficial examination. To diagnose the pathology, it is necessary to conduct an x-ray or ultrasound examination. Symptoms of adenopathy of the lymph nodes of the abdominal cavity: excessive sweating, weakness, a slight increase in body temperature, diarrhea. On palpation, the doctor detects an increase in the size of the spleen and liver.
When symptoms of inflammation of the lymph nodes appear, you should contact a specialist as soon as possible. This is due to the fact that pathogenic microorganisms are spread very quickly with the flow of biological fluid circulating in clusters.
Diagnosis
When the first warning signs appear that indicate lymphadenopathy (axillary, cervical, mediastinal, etc.), you should consult a therapist. If necessary, he will refer you for a consultation with narrow specialists (infectionist, oncologist, surgeon, phthisiatrician, endocrinologist, urologist or gynecologist).
An important role in the diagnosis of adenopathy of the lymph nodes has anamnesis. The specialist must provideinformation about the symptoms and their severity, as well as talk about episodes of injury, past infectious diseases, as well as the nature of sexual activity. After that, the doctor conducts an examination, during which he evaluates the size, shape, density, soreness and localization of the affected node or group of clusters.
Based on the results of the primary diagnosis, the specialist issues a referral for a comprehensive examination, including:
- Clinical and biochemical blood and urine tests.
- Test Wasserman.
- Serological testing.
- HIV test.
- Ultrasound.
- X-ray examination.
- CT, MRI.
If there is a suspicion of a malignant nature of the disease, a sample of the bone marrow biomaterial or the contents of the node is taken for cytological and histological studies.
Conservative therapies
The volume of therapeutic measures directly depends on the age of the patient, the form of the disease, the severity of the patient's condition. The choice of tactics for the treatment of adenopathy of the lymph nodes is carried out after the identification of the underlying pathology, which served as a provoking factor.
If the accumulations and surrounding tissues are affected by infection, antibiotics are indicated. Before the degree of sensitivity of pathogens to certain substances is revealed, doctors prescribe antibiotics belonging to the group of cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. As a rule, experts recommendtake Medakson and Levofloxacin. The duration of treatment depends on the individual characteristics of the patient's he alth and the severity of the disease.
Pathogens spread very quickly throughout the body through the lymph nodes. In this regard, local therapy of the disease should be treated with caution. All funds should be prescribed by a doctor, only he can evaluate the appropriateness of their use. In almost all cases, experts recommend using Vishnevsky's ointment. The agent must be applied directly to the affected lymph node.
If during the biopsy it was found that the pathological process is malignant, the patient is prescribed a course of chemotherapy. The outcome of the disease in this case directly depends on the severity of the underlying disease.
As an additional treatment, doctors prescribe immunostimulating agents. They are designed to strengthen the body's defenses during the fight against the disease. Glutoxim showed high efficiency in practice.
Surgery
In most cases, adenopathy is treated with medication. Surgical intervention is advisable only when the contents of the lymph nodes are represented by purulent fluid.
In such situations, an autopsy of education is carried out. It is carried out, as a rule, using a standard technique - open surgery. After gaining access, the surgeon removes the purulent contents, installs a drainage system, by means ofwhich will be the outflow of the discharge, and stitches.
Folk methods
The use of non-traditional methods does not eliminate the need to seek qualified medical help. The use of alternative methods is permissible, but only after obtaining the approval of the attending physician. This is due to the fact that in some cases, natural remedies can significantly worsen the course of the disease.
Most Effective Recipes:
- Grind freshly picked dandelion grass. Moisten a cotton swab in the released juice and apply the latter directly to the affected lymph node. Lotions can be done up to 3 times a day.
- Mix equal proportions of nettle and yarrow. Combine these components and pour them with 500 ml of water. Put the container on fire. Boil for 20 minutes. Let the broth cool down. Take three times a day before meals.
- Mix 500 g of goose or badger fat with boletus (medicinal plant). The latter must be taken 6 tbsp. l. Treat the affected areas with the resulting ointment.
Features of the disease in children
Until a child is 12 years old, the lymphatic system is immature. At the same time, it begins to form even in the period of intrauterine development. It is because of the immaturity of the system among children that adenopathy of the lymph nodes is very often diagnosed.
In a newborn baby, accumulations should not be palpable. Otherwise, it is customary to talk about their increase, and, consequently, about the presence of a pathologicalprocess.
The first 12 months of life are considered critical. In this regard, if any palpable formations are found, it is necessary to contact a pediatrician. At this age, inflammation of the clusters on the back of the head, in the groin and on the neck most often occurs. In a child, the cause of swollen lymph nodes is most often infectious diseases. In addition, adenopathy often develops against the background of systemic pathologies and immunodeficiency. In isolated cases, the disease occurs with helminthic invasion and an allergic reaction. According to statistics, 10% of young patients are diagnosed with malignant tumors.
If a child has enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, the cause may also be an inflammatory process in the oral cavity, including banal teething. If, after the first month of life, the generalized form of the disease is combined with dermatitis, fever, diarrhea and candidiasis, the doctor assumes the presence of immunodeficiency.
Forecast
The outcome of the pathology directly depends on the timeliness of contacting a specialist. Children under 12 years of age in the presence of palpable formations should be immediately shown to the pediatrician to exclude the presence of serious ailments. Adults should also seek timely medical attention.
Lymphadenopathy itself is not dangerous, the threat is the underlying disease. It is important to know that the cause of the disease can be a malignant process, ignoring which leads to death.
In closing
Adenopathy of the lymph nodes is a pathology that does notis an independent disease, but serves as a symptom of numerous ailments. If the first warning signs appear, you should consult a doctor who will issue a referral for a comprehensive examination and, based on its results, draw up the most effective treatment regimen.
As already mentioned that in the international classification of diseases (ICD-10) lymphadenopathy is assigned the code R59.
