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Have Painful And Swollen Lymph Node In Ear. Is It Due To Acute Cervical Lymphodentis?

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Posted on Sat, 24 Nov 2012
Question: I have Swollen lymph node in my right ear.It is a bit painful and tender.I went to Doctor he told that it might be due to Acute Cervical lymphodentis.My ESR count is also very high.Now it has been 15 days and the swelling still persists.I am on antibiotics.Is it because of cancer?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hema Yadav (21 minutes later)
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query .
Please do not worry . Your symptoms are most probably due to an acute infection /inflammation and less likely due to cancer .Another possibility common in India is tuberculosis infection of the lymph nodes.
Lymph nodes in Cancer are gradual to develop over months and usually painless and hard and might be associated with signs like weight loss , loss of appetite , weakness etc .
As your doctor has rightly said it could be most probably due to Acute cervical lymphadenitis which means inflammation of neck lymph nodes due to any acute ( recent )cause like infection , inflammation ( injury ) etc.
However since you have a high ESR count I would recommend you get a fine needle aspiration biopsy of the lymph node done if it persists beyond a month from the onset.
This is a very simple test to rule out Tb of lymph nodes and infact it can sometimes rule out a suspician of cancer too.
Considering you are antibiotics it's advisable to wait till the course completion and a week more to watch for self resolution .
So please do not worry, it's most probably an infection likely to resolve with antibiotics , less likely tuberculosis ( since very recent) but a possible risk , and unlikely cancerous .
Hope I have answered your query.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Hema Yadav (13 hours later)
Thanks doctor.The same was told by my physician but.I dont have any signs of weight loss and neck area (near the lymph nodes )is tender and painful.However I am scared of needles(fine needle aspiration biopsy ),is scanning an alternate to this?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hema Yadav (10 minutes later)
Hello,
Thanks for the follow up.
An ultrasound or CT scan can be used as a preliminary investigation for lymphadenitis but its not as confirmatory as FNAC or biopsy.
Please do not worry a FNAC is a very minor procedure just like a intramuscular injection or vaccination you might have taken . It's not necessary to undergo excision biopsy right now .
If you insist you can undergo a CT scan but I would still recommend FNAC over scanning .
Hope I have answered your query.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Regards.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Hema Yadav

Pediatrician, Infectious Diseases

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 1528 Questions

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Have Painful And Swollen Lymph Node In Ear. Is It Due To Acute Cervical Lymphodentis?

Hello,
Thanks for posting your query .
Please do not worry . Your symptoms are most probably due to an acute infection /inflammation and less likely due to cancer .Another possibility common in India is tuberculosis infection of the lymph nodes.
Lymph nodes in Cancer are gradual to develop over months and usually painless and hard and might be associated with signs like weight loss , loss of appetite , weakness etc .
As your doctor has rightly said it could be most probably due to Acute cervical lymphadenitis which means inflammation of neck lymph nodes due to any acute ( recent )cause like infection , inflammation ( injury ) etc.
However since you have a high ESR count I would recommend you get a fine needle aspiration biopsy of the lymph node done if it persists beyond a month from the onset.
This is a very simple test to rule out Tb of lymph nodes and infact it can sometimes rule out a suspician of cancer too.
Considering you are antibiotics it's advisable to wait till the course completion and a week more to watch for self resolution .
So please do not worry, it's most probably an infection likely to resolve with antibiotics , less likely tuberculosis ( since very recent) but a possible risk , and unlikely cancerous .
Hope I have answered your query.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Regards