Review Article
Year: 2020 | Month: October | Volume: 10 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 292-298
Cervical Lymphadenopathy: A Review
Rupali Verma1, Shriya Khera2
1M.D.S- Oral Medicine and Radiology, 2Senior Research Associate, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi
Corresponding Author: Rupali Verma
ABSTRACT
Cervical lymph node enlargement may be an incidental finding on examination in a patient seeking oral health care, or may be associated with a patient’s complaint. The condition is generally not a disease by itself; rather, it may be a symptom of one of many possible underlying problems. It may be localized, limited or generalized in location and/ or acute, subacute or chronic in duration. The etiologies for cervical lymphadenopathy fall under a wide range of spectrum and usually history and physical examination alone may lead to diagnosis. But, unexplained cervical lymphadenopathy is a cause of concern for the physician as it could be a manifestation of an underlying malignancy. However, a methodological approach to lymphadenopathy can disclose the accurate diagnosis causing minimal discomfort to the patient and also less time consuming for the physician.
This article reviews the common causes of lymphadenopathy and presents a methodical clinical approach to a patient with cervical lymphadenopathy.
Key words: Cervical lymphadenopathy, Clinical Evaluation, Differential Diagnosis, Benign, Malignant.