Swollen lymph nodes, inflammation or tumor?

Many people found that the report after physical examination said:

Submandibular lymph nodes, cervical lymph nodes are enlarged

Some people see it and don't care

There are also people who are more worried

Does long lymph nodes mean you have a tumor?

Why do good lymph nodes swell?

What to do if you notice swollen lymph nodes?

Today we will learn about the lower lymph nodes

What are lymph nodes?

The human body is performed by a perfect immune system, the body's immune function includes immune defense, immune surveillance and immune self-stabilization, and the immune system includes immune organs, immune cells, immune molecules
.

Lymph nodes are the most complete immune organs, widely distributed in the non-mucous membrane parts of the body lymphatic channel pool, human tissues or organs lymph fluid is drained to local lymph nodes
.
If the immune system is compared to the Great Wall, then the lymph nodes are the beacons in it, playing the role
of defense, early warning, and transmitting information.

What do lymph nodes look like?

Lymph nodes are generally flat round bodies, soft, different sizes, length and diameter between 5~20mm, lymph nodes can be divided into 2 parts, in the periphery is called cortex, the central part is called medulla
.

A normal young man has a total of about 400~500 lymph nodes, most of which are located in the chest, abdomen and pelvis
.
Only the more superficial areas can be palpated, and the lymph nodes located in the neck, submandibular cavity, supraclavicular fossa, axilla, groin, etc
.
are most palpable.

What can lymph nodes do?

Produces immune cells and antibodies

Lymph nodes are the main settlement site of mature B cells and T cells, B cells can produce antibodies to recognize pathogenic microorganisms into the body, such as viruses, bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms, and natural killer T cells in T cells can directly destroy foreign invaders
.

Filter and kill pathogenic microorganisms

Lymph nodes are effective filters for lymph, invading the body of pathogenic microorganisms, toxins and other harmful foreign bodies, usually with lymph into local lymph nodes
.
Lymph flows slowly in the lymph nodes, which is beneficial for lymphocytes to kill pathogenic microorganisms and remove foreign bodies
.

How to judge lymphadenopathy?

Many people in the physical examination, the report will write that the lymph nodes are enlarged, how to judge that it is bigger?

Lymph nodes are about the size of broad beans, under normal circumstances, superficial lymph nodes are relatively small, short diameter is less than 5mm, not easy to touch, and there is no tenderness
.

Superficial lymphadenopathy is palpable on examination and tender, but there is a subjective element
on examination.
The nature of
lymph nodes can also be comprehensively judged according to the parameters in ultrasonography, such as aspect ratio, lymphatic hilus, etc.

Lymph nodes under ultrasound

Superficial lymph node ultrasound has the advantages of real-time, convenient and inexpensive, and is currently the preferred imaging method
for diagnosing superficial lymph node diseases.

Normal ultrasound findings of lymph nodes

1 The morphology can be long, fusiform, elliptical or circular, with smooth and clear boundaries;

2 The structure of the medulla and gate is linear, cord-like, band-like and other hyperechoes, and is connected to the lymph node gate, and the surrounding is uniform hypoechoic;

3 Lymph node medulla and portal area can see about 2 blood flow signals, or no obvious blood flow signals
.

Now face your own lymph node ultrasound report

What are the causes of lymph node enlargement

Lymphadenopathy can be divided into localized and generalized lymphadenopathy according to its distribution
.

Localized lymphadenopathy

Non-specific lymphadenitis: swollen lymph nodes under the mandibular feel mostly indicate lesions in the oral cavity, such as tonsillitis, periodontitis, pulpitis or apical periodontitis
.

Lymph node tuberculosis: Clusters of globular bumps in the neck should be considered first
.

Malignant lymph node metastasis: patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma often develop enlarged lymph nodes deep in the neck; Enlargement of the left supraclavicular lymph node, indicating that cancer cells in the abdominal cavity have metastasized upward along the thoracic duct, such as liver cancer, gastric cancer, colon cancer, etc.
; The right supraclavicular lymph node is enlarged, indicating that cancer cells in the chest cavity have metastasized upward along the right lymphatic vessels, such as lung cancer and esophageal cancer
.

Generalized lymphadenopathy

Infectious diseases: viral in infectious mononucleosis, AIDS; Bacterial is found in brucellosis, hematogenous disseminated tuberculosis, and other pathogens such as syphilis and rat bite fever
.

Non-infectious diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, especially hematological diseases such as lymphoma, acute and chronic leukemia, etc
.

What to do if you notice swollen lymph nodes?

It is not recommended that friends search on the Internet on their own and see some symptoms and sit down at the right number, thinking that they have a bad disease
.
To see a doctor, the doctor will ask about the relevant symptoms and medical history in detail, and conduct a physical examination, and prescribe auxiliary examinations
in a targeted manner.
Some special lymph nodes are enlarged, and lymph node biopsy may also be required, that is, part of the lymph nodes are removed for pathological analysis, and the pathologist's detailed analysis can give the final diagnosis result
.