Cervical adenopathy is a swelling in the cervical lymph nodes that are found around the head and neck. The swelling may be the result of swollen or infected nodes and may be self-limited or need treatment. A doctor can evaluate a patient to determine the cause of the enlargement and develop a treatment plan based on the reasons for the condition and the patient's general level of health. In some cases, cervical adenopathy is a sign of serious underlying disease.
Lymph nodes act as collection points for lymph, a fluid that circulates throughout the body to support the immune system. They tend to trap debris, foreign bodies, dead cells, and other materials. When people are sick, their lymph nodes naturally get bigger because the immune system is working harder and may be making more material. Over time, the nodes can remove this material and return to normal size.
Patients can develop cervical adenopathy in association with a variety of conditions including colds and flus as well as serious infections. Sometimes cervical adenopathy becomes chronic, as in the case of inflammation associated with conditions such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In these patients, the nodes may not be able to express the material they contain independently, or they may not be able to remove it quickly enough to allow the swelling to subside before more waste and infectious materials enter the lymph nodes.
When a patient has swelling around the head and neck, the doctor may feel the area to check for cervical adenopathy and enlargement of other structures. This can be an important part of diagnosis and treatment, as the growth may not be related to the lymph nodes. If the doctor has doubts about malignancies, a biopsy may be necessary to take a sample of cells from the inflammation. A pathologist can examine the sample under a microscope to determine what types of cells are involved and check for signs of malignancy.
Treatment for cervical adenopathy usually involves addressing the underlying condition and allowing the nodes to heal on their own. If the patient has cancer cells in the lymph nodes, surgery may be needed to remove them. The medic may also take neighboring nodes, even if they don't seem to be involved, just to be safe; the nodes can harbor cancer cells that can begin to develop into tumors. After surgery, the patient may need chemotherapy and radiation to limit the chances of recurrence.