Is cervical lymphadenopathy serious?

Cervical lymphadenopathy is relatively common in clinical practice. The disease is particularly common among children and young people and is also related to people's low immunity. The symptoms of cervical lymphadenopathy vary with the progression of the disease, and the impact on people's health is relatively serious. The initial symptoms of cervical lymphadenopathy are not obvious and are easily neglected. Is cervical lymphadenopathy serious?

1. More serious

Cervical tuberculosis is more common in children and young people. Generally, the disease is caused when the body's disease resistance is low. Most tuberculosis bacteria invade through tonsils and dental caries, and a few are secondary to tuberculosis lesions in the lungs or bronchus. There may be multiple enlarged lymph nodes of varying sizes on one or both sides of the neck, arranged in a beaded manner. In the later stages of the disease, the main clinical manifestation is cold abscesses in local lymph nodes, and systemic poisoning symptoms such as low-grade fever, night sweats, and weight loss are less common. In the late stage, the lymph nodes become caseous, the sinus tract does not heal for a long time after rupture, and thin pus resembling bean curd residue is discharged. Comprehensive treatment measures are required for this disease. While carrying out standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment, proper removal of infected lymph nodes or curettage of sinuses can promote recovery.

2. Symptoms

There are multiple enlarged lymph nodes of varying sizes on one or both sides of the neck, generally located under the mandible and at the anterior, posterior edge or deep surface of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. In the early stage, the swollen lymph nodes are separated from each other, movable, hard and painless; as the lesion continues to develop, lymphadenitis occurs, and the lymph nodes are adhered to the skin and surrounding tissues. The individual lymph nodes may also adhere to each other and fuse into clumps, forming nodular masses that are difficult to move; in the late stage, the lymph nodes become caseous and liquefied to form cold abscesses, which then rupture to form sinuses or ulcers that are difficult to heal, and discharge thin pus mixed with bean curd-like debris. The sinus opening or ulcer surface has a dark red, undermined skin edge and withered, pale granulation tissue. Clinically, lymph nodes with different stages of tuberculosis often appear simultaneously.

3. Complications

Secondary infection of cervical lymph nodes: Ruptured lymph nodes are prone to secondary infection, causing acute inflammatory symptoms. Hematogenous dissemination: Caseous lymph nodes may rupture and invade the jugular vein, leading to serious complications due to dissemination of tuberculosis bacteria to distant sites of the body (joints, bones).