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Having Swollen Lymph Node In Throat And Back Of Neck. CT Scan Showed Clear. Should I Be Worried?

Posted on Fri, 31 Aug 2012

Question: I've had a lymph node swollen by my throat and 1 in my left supraclavicular region and 1 on each side of the back of my neck. They've been there a while and I hadn't been sick.

I went to the ENT who gave me a CT scan. Everything came back normal,nothing of clinical significance.

If this had been lymphoma, or cancer that spread to my lymph nodes, would there have been SOMETHING on the CT scan that would show I need a biopsy? (Characteristics, or signs or something?)

My ENT didn't really even want to give me a CT scan and said I am fine but did for my own comfort. I have bad health anxiety. But now I'm worried that I should just get a biopsy!

Answered by Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (3 hours later)

Hello

Thanks for the query

I am happy you are taking keen interest about your health. However I need to know more details in orde to help you better

1. Are the lymph nodes hard or soft?
2. How best can you describe the size of these lymph nodes?
3. Are they tender?
4. Can you move them or is it fixed?
5. Are they growing in size?

Please get back to me. I am awaiting your reply

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (12 minutes later)

The ones in my supraclavicular and side of my neck are soft, moveable, non-tender, haven't had the ones there for long (a week so far) but they don't seem to be growing.

The one in the front of my neck (by my throat) in MY opinion is harder and feels more fixed, but the ENT said it wasn't and he wanted to know how I even found it ;) I don't know if it has grown, but it has been there for at least 2 months, if it has grown, it is a very small amount.

I don't know the exact size of the lymph nodes, but the one by my throat is maybe 1cm (whatever it is, it wasn't big enough to be considered anything on the scan) and the ones in my neck are small, pea sized.

Answered by Dr. Rakesh Madhyastha (20 minutes later)

Hello

Thanks for the query

I would like to tell you a few points about lumph nodes. Lymph nodes are considered significant only when they are more than 1.5 cm, hard, matted and fixed to the underlying structure. Your lymph nodes do not fall into this category so you need not worry about it. Avoid touching and squeezing the lymph node repeatedly. But please do watch out for increase in size.

I hope I have answered your query, if you have any further queries please let me know I will be happy to reply

Regards

Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar