Index
It is an excessive enlargement of the lymph nodes.
Adenomegaly is also treated as adenopathy. Adenopathy usually refers to swollen lymph nodes.
As part of your immune system, your lymph nodes play an important role in keeping you healthy. Fluids from your body’s tissues seep through them. Its main job is to help your body rid itself of viruses and bacteria, and to provide white blood cells.
Most of the time, your lymph nodes swell because your body is fighting an infection from a virus or bacteria. The nodules fill with immune cells, viruses or bacteria, and fluids, making them larger than normal.
In rare cases, swollen lymph nodes can be caused by other, more serious diseases.
Symptoms of adenomegaly
Of your hundreds of lymph nodes, you can only feel a few of them. Clusters of nodes can be felt near the skin in the neck, armpits, back of the head, belly, and groin. You can feel and sometimes even see these nodes when they are enlarged.
When this happens, you may notice the following:
- Pea- or bean-sized lumps under the skin.
- Tenderness or pain when touched.
- Redness and warmth of the skin over the swollen glands.
Other symptoms to watch out for
If your lymph nodes are swollen, you may also experience symptoms of an infection.
These include:
- Runny nose.
- Throat pain.
- Earache.
- Fever.
- Fatigue.
Once the infection clears, the lymph nodes should return to normal.
Call your doctor right away if you have trouble swallowing or breathing. You should also make an appointment with your doctor if you have any of these symptoms:
- Swollen lymph nodes throughout the body, such as in the neck, groin, and armpits.
- Nodes that are swollen for more than two weeks.
- Hard or rubbery nodes that don’t move when you press them.
- Fast growing nodes.
- Weightloss.
- Night sweats or long-lasting fever.
What Causes Adenomegaly?
The most common cause of swollen lymph nodes is a viral infection such as the common cold or the flu. Another common cause is a bacterial infection such as strep throat.
More rarely, lymph nodes can swell due to injury, other diseases, or cancer. The following are common causes of swollen lymph nodes:
Infectious causes
Most cases of swollen lymph nodes are caused by viruses or bacteria. Often times, the swollen nodes will be close to the infection. For example, the glands in your neck will swell when you have a throat infection.
Some of the many infections that can cause your nodes to swell include:
- Common cold.
- Strep throat.
- Tonsillitis .
- Measles.
- Ear infections
- Infected tooth
- Mononucleosis.
- Skin or wound infections.
- Renfermedad de Lyme.
- VIH.
Non-infectious causes
You can also develop lymphadenopathy from other causes, from injury to autoimmune diseases.
Possibilities include:
- Injury: As your body works to heal a wound and prevent an infection from taking hold, your nodules near the injury may swell.
- Certain Medications – Phenytoin (Dilantin) and Malaria Prevention Medications are two examples of medications that can cause swollen lymph nodes.
- Rheumatoid arthritis : This autoimmune disease causes inflammation in the joints and sometimes other organs.
- Lupus: This autoimmune disease causes inflammation in your organs, skin, and joints.
- Sarcoidosis : This disease causes groups of inflammatory cells (granulomas) to grow in different parts of your body. The lungs are frequently involved.
Is it cancerous?
Swollen lymph nodes can sometimes be caused by cancer, but lymphadenopathy is much more likely to be caused by infection.
In rare cases, swollen lymph nodes can be a sign of:
- Lymphoma: This is a type of cancer that begins in the lymphatic system or in a lymph node.
- Leukemia: is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, which can also affect the lymphatic system.
Most often, a cancer begins elsewhere in the body and spreads to the lymph nodes.
If you have any of the following symptoms along with swollen lymph nodes, see your doctor immediately:
- Weightloss.
- Easy bruising and bleeding.
- Fever or fatigue that lasts for weeks.
- Night sweats.
Diagnosis of adenomegaly
Swollen lymph nodes are not a disease. They are a symptom of some underlying condition.
Your doctor will first want to determine if your lymphadenopathy affects only one area of your body (localized) or if it affects two or more areas of the body (generalized).
If nodes throughout your body are swollen, your doctor will suspect that it is a more serious disease that affects the entire body.
If you recently became ill or injured, be sure to tell your doctor. This information is vital in helping your doctor determine the cause of your symptoms.
To help determine the root cause of your swollen glands, your doctor will do some or all of the following, depending on what you need:
- Ask questions: Your doctor will want to know how long your nodules have swollen, any other symptoms you have, when your symptoms started, and what medications you take.
- Perform an exam: Your doctor will feel the lymph nodes near the surface of your skin to check their size, if they are painful, and if they feel warm. The location, size, and texture of the swollen nodes give the doctor clues to possible causes.
- Order blood tests: Depending on what your doctor thinks may be causing the swollen lymph nodes, blood tests may be used to confirm or rule out suspected underlying conditions.
- Sort images: X-rays or CT scans can be used to help find sources of infection or look for tumors.
- Do a biopsy: Your doctor may remove a sample of the lymph node through a needle or by removing it entirely. The sample will be examined under a microscope.
If necessary, the doctor can remove the entire lymph node.
Treatment
Your doctor will not treat your swollen lymph nodes directly. They will treat the underlying condition causing the swelling.
But if your swollen glands are painful, here are some tips to ease it:
- Warmth: Place a warm compress, such as a warm washcloth or heating pad low, on the affected area.
- Use Great Packs – Sometimes heat can irritate already sensitive skin or sore body parts. Cold compresses can help relieve inflammation if a warm compress is not effective.
- Take a pain reliever: Over- the-counter medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or acetaminophen can ease your discomfort.
- Rest: Rest can help you recover from your underlying illness.
If your swollen lymph nodes were caused by a viral infection, your doctor probably won’t prescribe any medications. Antibiotics do not work on viruses. For certain viruses, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medicine.
Bacterial infections are generally treated with antibiotics.
Serious infections throughout the body, inflammatory diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer will require special treatment plans. Your doctor will work with you on that treatment plan or send you to a specialist.
Prediction of adenomegaly
Your outlook will vary depending on the cause of your swollen glands. If your adenopathy is the result of a mild infection, your lymph nodes will return to normal shortly after the infection clears.
If your adenopathy is caused by a more serious condition, your doctor will work with you on a treatment plan.
