Diagnostic aspects of cervical lymphadenopathy in children in the developing world: a study of 1,877 surgical specimens

The Evaluation of Lymphadenopathy in a Resource-Limited Setting

Lymphadenopathy (LAP) refers to abnormalities in the size or consistency of lymph nodes. A wide range of etiologies contributes to the difficulty in diagnosing LAP, from mild self-limited viral infections to grave autoimmune diseases and malignancies. Detailed history-taking and a thorough physical examination are essential. Some physicians in developing countries may consider therapeutic testing. Certain groups may require additional evaluations and special treatment. When treating LAP, the etiology is targeted, but corticosteroids should not be administered before a complete diagnosis has been established due to their ability to mask the histological diagnosis of lymphoma and malignancy. This review aims to provide more straightforward and affordable methods available in almost all healthcare settings, especially those with limited resources.

Risk analysis in persistent cervical lymphadenopathies: Malignant or benign?

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of the study was to determine the parameters that can be used to predict malignancy in persistent cervical lymphadenopathies.

METHODS:

We retrospectively reviewed the files of 162 patients diagnosed with persistent cervical lymphadenopathy who underwent an excisional biopsy in our department between January 2011 and October 2019. Patient demographics and the size, side, duration, and localization of lymphadenopathy were recorded, and their relationship with histopathological results was investigated. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between clinical parameters and malignancy.

RESULTS:

Of the 162 patients, 91 (56.2%) were male and 71 (43.8%) were female, and the mean age was 45.40±20.41 (2–84) years. Male gender (OR=3.099; p=0.003), increasing age (OR=1.029; p=0.002), short duration of lymphadenopathy (OR=0.989; p=0.048), and neck level V (OR=2.604; p=0.031) patients had a statistically significantly higher risk of malignancy. There was no statistically significant relationship between the side and size of the lymph node and the risk of malignancy (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION:

In our study, male gender was determined to be the most predictive risk factor for malignancy in patients with cervical lymphadenopathy, followed by lymph node neck level, increased age, and duration of the disease.

Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Peripheral Lymph Nodes in Children: Practical Experience in a Tertiary Hospital

BACKGROUND

Peripheral lymphadenopathy occurs often in children; fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a commonly performed diagnostic procedure. We describe FNAB use and outcome for peripheral lymphadenopathy in children in a routine clinical setting.

METHODS

A retrospective study done at Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town of children (<13 years) who had an FNAB for lymphadenopathy from July 2012 to June 2014. Demographic, clinical, treatment and follow-up data were retrieved from patient folders; FNAB and special investigation results were obtained from the laboratory database.

RESULTS

Of the 173 children, the median age was 37 (interquartile range 13-75) months; 20 (11.5%) were HIV positive. Most FNABs were done in the neck (131; 76%) and axillary areas (34; 20%). FNAB provided a result in 165 (95%) cases; in 8 (5%) children FNAB was insufficient for diagnosis. Mycobacterial aetiology was diagnosed in 84 (49%); 49 (58%) were culture-confirmed (37 Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 10 Mycobacterium bovis BCG, 1 both and 1 non-tuberculous mycobacterium). Reactive lymphadenopathy was diagnosed in 56 (32%), neoplastic disease in 6 (3.5%) and other pathology in 19 (11%) cases. Additional special investigations changed FNAB diagnosis or led to an additional diagnosis in 8 (5%) children. Overall, 70/84 (83%) with mycobacterial aetiology and all neoplastic disease cases received the correct treatment. Follow-up appointments were arranged in 144 (83%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In a high tuberculosis burden area, a single FNAB provided a diagnosis in most cases in a routine referral setting; FNAB remains a safe and useful investigation. Follow-up of children to initiate appropriate treatment could improve.

LAY SUMMARY

Large swollen lymph nodes, especially in the neck, are a common finding in children. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a commonly used diagnostic procedure and we looked at how well this procedure works in everyday hospital practice. We identified all children <13 years of age over a 2-year period (2012-2014) who had an FNAB done at Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa, and looked how well this procedure performed and what the doctors did with these children. We found 173 children who had an FNAB done. They were generally young children of around 3 years old. With a single FNAB, we could make a diagnosis in 95% of these children. About half of the children had tuberculosis or complications of a BCG vaccine (both caused by mycobacteria), only 4% had a malignancy of some kind, about a third had reactive lymph nodes (usually other mainly local infectious causes) and the rest had other pathology like abscesses. All malignancies and >80% of the mycobacterial pathology cases were correctly managed; the latter could definitely improve.

Histological Examination in Obtaining a Diagnosis in Patients with Lymphadenopathy in Lima, Peru

The differential diagnosis for lymphadenopathy is wide and clinical presentations overlap, making obtaining an accurate diagnosis challenging. We sought to characterize the clinical and radiological characteristics, histological findings, and diagnoses for a cohort of patients with lymphadenopathy of unknown etiology. 121 Peruvian adults with lymphadenopathy underwent lymph node biopsy for microbiological and histopathological evaluation. Mean patient age was 41 years (Interquartile Range 26–52), 56% were males, and 39% were HIV positive. Patients reported fever (31%), weight loss (23%), and headache (22%); HIV infection was associated with fever (P < 0.05) and gastrointestinal symptoms (P < 0.05). Abnormalities were reported in 40% of chest X-rays (N = 101). Physicians suspected TB in 92 patients (76%), lymphoma in 19 patients (16%), and other malignancy in seven patients (5.8%). Histological diagnoses (N = 117) included tuberculosis (34%), hyperplasia (27%), lymphoma (13%), and nonlymphoma malignancy (14%). Hyperplasia was more common (P < 0.001) and lymphoma less common (P = 0.005) among HIV-positive than HIV-negative patients. There was a trend toward reduced frequency of caseous necrosis in samples from HIV-positive than HIV-negative TB patients (67 versus 93%, P = 0.055). The spectrum of diagnoses was broad, and clinical and radiological features correlated poorly with diagnosis. On the basis of clinical features, physicians over-diagnosed TB, and under-diagnosed malignancy. Although this may not be inappropriate in resource-limited settings where TB is the most frequent easily treatable cause of lymphadenopathy, diagnostic delays can be detrimental to patients with malignancy. It is important that patients with lymphadenopathy undergo a full diagnostic work-up including sampling for histological evaluation to obtain an accurate diagnosis.

Successful Introduction of Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy for Diagnosis of Pediatric Lymphadenopathy

Accurate and rapid diagnosis of extrapulmonary nodal tuberculosis in children is of paramount importance. This retrospective study performed at Tygerberg Hospital using data from the laboratory records between January 1, 2004 and June 30, 2014 demonstrates how since the introduction laboratory-run FNAB service; fine needle aspiration biopsy has become an acceptable and routine diagnostic procedure for triage of pediatric lymphadenopathy.

Loss-of-function mutations in the C9ORF72 mouse ortholog cause fatal autoimmune disease

C9ORF72 mutations are found in a significant fraction of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, yet the function of the C9ORF72 gene product remains poorly understood. We show that mice harboring loss-of-function mutations in the ortholog of C9ORF72 develop splenomegaly, neutrophilia, thrombocytopenia, increased expression of inflammatory cytokines, and severe autoimmunity, ultimately leading to a high mortality rate. Transplantation of mutant mouse bone marrow into wild-type recipients was sufficient to recapitulate the phenotypes observed in the mutant animals, including autoimmunity and premature mortality. Reciprocally, transplantation of wild-type mouse bone marrow into mutant mice improved their phenotype. We conclude that C9ORF72 serves an important function within the hematopoietic system to restrict inflammation and the development of autoimmunity.

The cytopathology of mycobacterial infection

Mycobacterial infection, tuberculosis (TB) in particular, remains one of the world's deadliest communicable diseases in adults and particularly in children, in low and middle income countries. The combination of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and TB is often lethal with TB accounting for 25% of deaths in the HIV population. One of the cornerstones for reducing the TB epidemic is early case detection using high quality diagnostic techniques. Cytology, especially fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is able to diagnose mycobacterial infection in a rapid and cost-effective manner without requiring surgery, thus allowing appropriate management to be quickly instituted. Confirmatory ancillary tests can effectively be performed on cytologic material. In this review, the pertinent cytomorphology of mycobacterial infection in various exfoliative and FNAB specimens is presented, in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients. In the immunosuppressed, the typical cytomorphology of caseating granulomatous inflammation may not be seen but suppurative necrotic inflammation, mycobacterial spindle pseudotumour or a specimen comprised entirely of necrosis may be seen instead. This review includes discussion of currently available ancillary tests that can be performed on cytologic specimens.

[Clinical and histological characteristics of adenopathies in paediatric patients]

BACKGROUND

Lymphadenopathy is a common cause for medical consultation in the child population, accounting for up to 44% in children under 5 years old. In some cases, it is required to take lymph node biopsy specimens in order to clarify the diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical and histological features of paediatric patients with lymphadenopathy and lymph node biopsies.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Descriptive and retrospective study conducted in Medellin (Colombia) in a fourth-level hospital between January 1st of 2009 and December 31st of 2012. In the study, lymph node biopsy specimens were taken from children under 15 years old. Demographic, clinical and laboratory features, and characteristics of the patients were evaluated, as well as the histopathological diagnosis of the lymph node biopsies.

RESULTS

From the child population, 61 children met the eligibility criteria and 33 (54.1%) of them were male with an average age of 6 years old. The most common pathological diagnoses in the study group were as follows: reactive hyperplasia (50.8%), neoplasms (27.9%), chronic granulomatous disease (4.9%), and bacterial infection (3.3%). It could be concluded from the findings in the study that Hodgkin lymphoma is very common among the neoplastic diseases, with 18%, and the most frequent location was the neck with 60.6%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the importance of performing a differential diagnosis when approaching patients with lymphadenopathy. As reported in the world medical literature, benign origin is the most common cause of lymphadenopathy in children.

The validity of the macroscopic appearance of lymph node biopsy in the diagnosis of tuberculosis

INTRODUCTION

Tuberculosis (TB) is a common disease with profound morbidity, mortality and effects on global public health. The differential diagnosis of lymphadenopathy is wide, particularly in areas where HIV is prevalent. Most hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa and across the developing world have limited, if any, histology facilities. This study will assess the validity of the assessment of the lymph nodes by their macroscopic appearance for the diagnosis of TB. Its sensitivity and specificity will be compared to full histological examination.

METHOD

This is a single-centre prospective study conducted in a remote rural district hospital in Zambia over a time period of 16 months. All patients with palpable lymphadenopathy where TB was considered in the differential diagnosis were included. The patients underwent an excision lymph node biopsy. The cut surface was judged by the operating surgeon as to the presence of caseation. The excised nodes were then sent for histological examination.

RESULTS

In total, 59.8% of patients (64 of 107 patients) in this group had a final histological diagnosis of TB. This is equivalent to the TB disease prevalence in this group of patients that have palpable lymphadenopathy in this population. The diagnostic sensitivity based on macroscopic appearance of the lymph node was 81.25% (95% CI, 69.5-89.9%). The specificity was 97.67% (95% CI, 87.7-99.6%).

CONCLUSION

This study has shown that lymph node appearance is a useful diagnostic test even without laboratory histopathological facilities in the diagnosis of TB. This assessment of the macroscopic appearance is both sensitive and specific.

Clinical and experimental study of Castleman disease in children

BACKGROUND

Castleman disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disease that is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, especially in children. For this reason, we describe the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of CD in 11 children.

PROCEDURE

A retrospective study was performed to analyze the clinical features of 11 children with CD in a single institution from January 2001 to December 2012. All had computed tomography (CT) and lymph node resection for pathology diagnosis.

RESULTS

The average age of patients was 9.67 ± 4.26 years (range 1.3-15.5 years) including eight males (72.73%) and three females (27.27%). All but two (18.18%) had multicentric Castleman disease (MCD). Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) infected cells were not detected in all patients. All patients were misdiagnosed in outside hospitals without tissue examination. Only in one case, the preoperative CT scan suggested CD. After treatment, 10 out of 11 children with CD in our study were disease free in the follow-up period ranging from 12 to 136 months (average 65.1 ± 10.21 months).

CONCLUSION

CD in children is rare, and is frequently misdiagnosed clinically. Our study shows that surgical resection is very effective in the treatment of unicentric Castleman disease (UCD). The rare UCD patient and all MCD patients treated with the modified NHLBFM-90 protocol had good prognosis.

Cervical lymphadenopathy: study of 251 patients

Correct diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathy is often a great challenge. The objective of this case study is to describe the distribution of the most common causes of unclear neck swellings presented in an ENT-Department and to evaluate the clinical history, examination and laboratory findings. In a retrospective study at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Homburg/Saar, 251 patients were enrolled with clinical and ultrasound signs of cervical lymphadenopathy as well as lymph node extirpation for histopathological evaluation. 127 patients (50.6 %) had a histological malignant finding. The distribution of the most common pathological conditions was as follows: Non-specific reactive hyperplasia n = 89 (35.5 %), metastases n = 86 (34.3 %), lymphoma n = 41 (16.3 %), granulomatous lesions n = 15 (6 %), abscess formations n = 5 (2 %), necrotic lymphadenitis and Castleman's disease one case of each, lymph node with normal architecture n = 7 (2.8 %), and neck masses mimicking lymphadenopathy n = 6 cases (2.4 %). The following factors identified by multivariate logistic regression were significantly associated to malignant lymphadenopathy: increasing age, generalized lymphadenopathy and history of malignant disorder, fixed neck masses and increasing diameter in ENT examination, bulky lesion, absence of hilus, blurred outer contour, protective role of the long form and decreasing Solbiati-index values by ultrasound B-Mode gray scale examination. Level II contained more benign lymphatic lesions, while the malignancy rate in level IV and V was enhanced. Laboratory parameters significantly associated to malignancies were CRP, LDH and thrombocytopenia. Patients with persisting cervical lymphadenopathy and over 3 weeks of antibiotic treatment should be considered for early biopsy, especially if some of the risk factors, pointed out in this study, are present.

Lymphadenopathy in a series of Egyptian pediatric patients and the role of pathology in the diagnostic workup

Assessment of lymphadenopathy in children represents a diagnostic challenge because of the extensive differential diagnoses, including reactive and malignant conditions. Knowledge of the etiologic pattern of lymphadenopathy in a given geographical region is essential for making a confident diagnosis or for suspecting a disease. Hence, the present study was carried out to identify different etiologies of lymphadenopathy in children in our region and to assess parameters commonly associated with malignancy, with an emphasis on the role of pathology. One hundred and twenty patients aged 1 month to 18 years were included in the study. They were sorted into neoplastic and nonneoplastic (infectious and noninfectious) groups. In 56 patients, biopsy (fine needle aspiration cytology [FNAC], core needle, or excision biopsy) was essential to reach the final diagnosis. Sensitivity of FNAC in the differentiation between neoplastic and nonneoplastic lymphadenopathy was 92.3%, and specificity was 90.0%, with a diagnostic accuracy of 91.3%. We concluded that malignancy should be suspected in the following conditions: presence of abdominal or multiple symptoms; symptom duration of 1-6 months; generalized lymphadenopathy; multiple groups of lymph node (LN) involved; LN size > 2 cm; amalgamated, hard, fixed, and nontender LNs; certain abnormal complete blood count findings; blast cells in blood film; and elevated lactate dehydrogenase level. In such cases, LN biopsy is highly recommended. A final diagnosis was achieved after integrating information from history and clinical findings with the laboratory, radiological, pathological, and microbiological findings. Accordingly, an algorithm for primary diagnostic evaluation of children with lymphadenopathy is suggested.

Assessment of children exposed to adult pulmonary tuberculosis in Cali, Colombia

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of uniform criteria for the diagnosis and management of tuberculosis (TB) in children in Cali, Colombia. Addressing TB in children is a challenge in this setting, under both programmatic and research conditions.

OBJECTIVES

To facilitate the diagnostic assessment of TB in a paediatric cohort of TB household contacts.

METHODS

A diagnostic and management algorithm (DMA) was used to assess children exposed to adult TB cases, according to clinical and epidemiological findings and under programmatic conditions. On the basis of diagnostic tests, cases were classified as TB exposure, TB infection, suspected TB, possible TB or confirmed TB and then submitted to a management plan. This was a prospective pilot study nested within a national cohort study of the transmission dynamics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, undertaken in Colombia during 2005-2008.

RESULTS

During 24 months of follow-up, 54 of 217 children met the criteria for assessment by DMA, 18 of whom (33%) were considered to be TB incident cases (new TB cases among household contacts). The main clinical findings were failure to thrive and cough lasting >21 days. Only one case was smear-positive and culture-confirmed TB. TB treatment was given to 16 children and they demonstrated clinical and radiographic resolution at follow-up. Conducting the study under programmatic conditions demonstrated barriers to accessing competent radiological evaluation, correct interpretation of the tuberculin skin test, and proper specimen collection.

CONCLUSION

Structured assessment using DMA facilitated the detection of incident TB cases. The study identified potential barriers to addressing childhood TB in Cali.

Primary Burkitt's lymphoma of the thyroid without Epstein-Barr virus infection: A case report and literature review

Primary thyroid lymphomas are rare, and the majority are B-cell lymphoma. Primary Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) of the thyroid is much less common than the other types of lymphoma. The current study presents the case of an eight-year-old male with a mass in the right lobe of the thyroid, which was detected by B-ultrasound. The patient was diagnosed with BL by immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of MYC (8q24) and immunoglobulin rearrangement assays. Furthermore, subsequent positron emission tomography-computed tomography scans revealed no abnormal metabolites in the left lobe of the thyroid or in other parts of the body following surgery. The patient underwent alternate R-B-NHL-BFM-90-A and R-B-NHL-BFM-90-B treatment for four cycles each following the thyroidectomy. The patient is well and remains free of disease recurrence following almost four years follow-up. The present study discusses this rare case of primary BL of the thyroid and presents a review of the literature. This case report provides evidence that the immediate diagnosis and treatment of primary Burkitt's lymphoma of the thyroid is likely to improve patient outcome.

When does an enlarged cervical lymph node in a child need excision? A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Palpable cervical lymphadenopathy is very common in children. The clinician's job is to exclude malignancy as a cause and reach a diagnosis. In children selected for open biopsy, reactive hyperplasia and other inflammatory causes are far more common as a final diagnosis than malignancy. Furthermore complications can occur after open biopsy.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic utility of clinical examination and investigations to exclude malignancy and other serious causes of paediatric cervical lymphadenopathy and minimise open biopsy.

TYPE OF REVIEW

A systematic review of the literature with defined search strategy.

SEARCH STRATEGY

A structured search of Medline, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane databases. The references within standard paediatric ENT and head and neck textbooks were also examined.

RESULTS

The quality of evidence regarding predictors of malignancy is poor. Large lymph nodes and supraclavicular nodes are potential indicators of serious pathology. Fever, weight loss and organomegaly may be indicators but duration of symptoms and consistency are not. Abnormalities on chest X-ray are associated with serious causes but the diagnostic utility of routine chest X-ray is unknown. Ultrasound assessment of nodal architecture, margins, and shape (and possibly vascularity) shows considerable promise as a means of differentiating reactive hyperplasia from malignancy but further studies in children are required. Abnormalities in the full blood count (FBC) seem to be uncommon but when present are associated with serious causes of cervical lymphadenopathy, again the diagnostic utility is unclear. Serological testing may identify a specific cause and therefore avoid excision biopsy in around 10% of cases. Cutting needle biopsy requires further evaluation before it can be recommended. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is very specific, but sensitivity varies in different studies to the extent that it cannot yet be relied upon to exclude malignancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Large and supraclavicular nodes should be biopsied. Ultrasound is likely to be useful but further study is required. FNAC cannot be relied upon to exclude malignancy in children. The diagnostic utility of chest X-ray and FBC are unclear. Work is required on multivariate predictive models.

Histology of solid lateral cervical masses biopsied in children

INTRODUCTION

Solid cervical lateral neck masses in children may require surgical biopsy to confirm appropriate diagnostic and begin a directed therapeutic treatment. We aimed to describe the contribution of pathological results and compare them with the clinical diagnosis and the paraclinical tools.

METHODS

A retrospective review of surgical biopsies for solid lateral neck masses in children over a ten year period in a pediatric tertiary center was conducted. Demographic, imaging, laboratory analysis, surgical and pathological data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics with SPSS 17.0.

RESULTS

44 biopsies were done between 2002 and 2012. Inflammatory masses were found in 26/44 biopsies with half of them (13/26) being nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lymphadenitis. Non-inflammatory/benign masses represented 9/44 biopsies and 5/44 masses were of malignant etiology. Malignant masses imaging had a sensitivity and specificity of 33% and 75%, respectively, for ultrasound, whereas Neck CT scan had 33% and 77%, respectively. The contribution of pathological results to the clinical management was questionable in 39% (17/44) of biopsies.

CONCLUSION

Inflammatory masses with NTM lymphadenitis were the most common diagnosis. Imaging was not helpful in establishing the diagnosis. Heterogeneity in the management of solid lateral neck masses between clinicians was important and indicates the need for guideline approach.

Incidence and predictors of malignancy in children with persistent cervical lymphadenopathy

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical and histopathologic aspects of persistent cervical lymphadenopathies in children.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 98 children who underwent surgical excision for persistently swollen cervical lymph nodes between 2001 and 2013. Lymph nodes greater than 1.5 cm that persisted for more than 4 weeks and were unresponsive to an initial antibiotic treatment were considered "persistent". The largest lymph node with an abnormal ultrasonographic appearance was selected for surgical biopsy. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the histopathologic outcome: benign or malignant.

RESULTS

No significant differences were found between the groups regarding the mean size and mean duration of the swollen cervical lymph nodes (p = 0.147 and p = 0.446, respectively). The area under the ROC curve was 0.567 (95% confidence interval = 0.463-0.667, p = 0.259) for lymph node size and 0.507 (95% confidence interval = 0.404-0.609, p = 0.909) for the duration of the cervical lymphadenopathy. There was no significant difference in the presence of B symptoms between the two groups (p = 0.519). No significant difference was found between benign and malignant groups regarding bilaterality (p=0.913).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of our study demonstrated that the size and duration of cervical lymphadenopathy, bilateral or unilateral involvement and the presence or absence of B symptoms are not indicators of malignancy. We found a high incidence of malignancy in pediatric cervical lymphadenopathy cases in contrast to other current studies.

Paediatric cervical lymphadenopathy: when to biopsy?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cervical lymphadenopathy is common in the paediatric population and persistent lymphadenopathy of unknown cause is a frequent reason for otolaryngology referral. Diagnostic work-up is variable among physicians and deciding when excisional biopsy is necessary remains a challenge. This update reviews the recent literature on the work-up and diagnosis of paediatric cervical lymphadenopathy, with a focus on factors that may influence the need for excisional biopsy.

RECENT FINDINGS

The majority of paediatric cervical lymphadenopathy cases are benign, with infection and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia being far more common than malignancy. Ultrasound is the initial imaging modality of choice for paediatric cervical lymphadenopathy and can provide critical information to aid in diagnosis. Clinical factors that may predict malignancy include lymph node size greater than 2 cm, multiple levels of adenopathy and supraclavicular location. Biopsy should be strongly considered in patients with a combination of these factors or other suspicious findings such as severe systemic symptoms.

SUMMARY

Paediatric cervical lymphadenopathy is commonly encountered in general and paediatric otolaryngology practice; however, absolute guidelines for biopsy do not exist. Careful consideration of history, physical examination, laboratory work-up and diagnostic imaging must be used to guide the clinician in decision-making for biopsy.

Enlarged neck lymph nodes in children

Pediatric cervical lymphadenopathy is a challenging medical condition for the patient, family, and physician. There are a wide variety of causes for cervical lymphadenopathy and an understanding of these causes is paramount in determining the most appropriate workup and management. A thorough history and physical examination are important in narrowing the differential diagnosis. Diagnostic studies and imaging studies play an important role as well. This article reviews the common causes of lymphadenopathy, and presents a methodical approach to a patient with cervical lymphadenopathy.

A clinical algorithm for triaging patients with significant lymphadenopathy in primary health care settings in Sudan

Background

Tuberculosis is a major health problem in developing countries. The distinction between tuberculous lymphadenitis, non-specific lymphadenitis and malignant lymph node enlargement has to be made at primary health care levels using easy, simple and cheap methods.

Objective

To develop a reliable clinical algorithm for primary care settings to triage cases of non-specific, tuberculous and malignant lymphadenopathies.

Methods

Calculation of the odd ratios (OR) of the chosen predictor variables was carried out using logistic regression. The numerical score values of the predictor variables were weighed against their respective OR. The performance of the score was evaluated by the ROC (Receiver Operator Characteristic) curve.

Results

Four predictor variables; Mantoux reading, erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR), nocturnal fever and discharging sinuses correlated significantly with TB diagnosis and were included in the reduced model to establish score A. For score B, the reduced model included Mantoux reading, ESR, lymph-node size and lymph-node number as predictor variables for malignant lymph nodes. Score A ranged 0 to 12 and a cut-off point of 6 gave a best sensitivity and specificity of 91% and 90% respectively, whilst score B ranged -3 to 8 and a cut-off point of 3 gave a best sensitivity and specificity of 83% and 76% respectively. The calculated area under the ROC curve was 0.964 (95% CI, 0.949 – 0.980) and -0.856 (95% CI, 0.787 - 0.925) for scores A and B respectively, indicating good performance.

Conclusion

The developed algorithm can efficiently triage cases with tuberculous and malignant lymphadenopathies for treatment or referral to specialised centres for further work-up.

Benign lymphadenopathies

Benign lymphadenopathy is a common biopsy finding, and may often be confused with malignant lymphoma. It may be separated into major morphologic patterns, each with its own differential diagnosis with certain types of lymphoma. Most cases of reactive follicular hyperplasia is easy to diagnosis, but some cases may be confused with follicular lymphoma, but key morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular findings may usually distinguish between the two, particularly assessment of bcl-2 staining. Molecular studies to demonstrate B-cell clonality, as well as the t(14;18), may also be of great use in difficult cases. IgG4-associated sclerosing disease is discussed, as one recently described example of a specific type of reactive follicular hyperplasia in which the etiology may be suggested based on pathologic studies. While overlapping with the other types of hyperplasia, a high index of suspicion as well as IgG and IgG4 immunostains will help raise the possibility of the diagnosis that can be confirmed by further clinical studies. Reactive paracortical/interfollicular hyperplasia is another pattern of reactive hyperplasia, which may easily be confused with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, particularly T-cell lymphoma. Epstein-Barr virus-associated infectious mononucleosis is an example of reactive paracortical/interfollicular hyperplasia, which may often simulate a malignant lymphoma. Attention to clinical findings, as well as a combination of immunohistochemical stains and in situ hybridization studies for Epstein-Barr early RNA (EBER) will usually allow a definitive diagnosis. In addition, lymph nodes with extensive necrosis may simulate malignant lymphoma. Kikuchi necrotizing histiocytic lymphadenitis is an example of a benign process with extensive necrosis, which may easily be confused with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Clinical and morphologic features, particularly the presence of abundant karyorrhectic debris along with a paucity of granulocytes, as well as immunohistochemical studies to rule out lymphoma, are most helpful in establishing the correct diagnosis.

The analysis of pathological findings for cervical lymph node biopsies in eastern Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Lymphadenopathy is a common medical problem. A lymph node biopsy may be necessary for definitive diagnosis in selected cases.

METHODS

The study group included a retrospective, hospital-based series of patients who had a cervical lymph node biopsy at the Saudi Aramco Medical Services organization between 1997 and 2008.

RESULTS

During the study period, there were a total of 452 cervical lymph node biopsies. Biopsies were performed on 122 (27%) children ≤18 years and 81 (18%) patients >60 years. The most common histopathological diagnosis was reactive disease (52.2%, n=236), which was followed by granulomatous disease (15.5%, n=70). We detected carcinoma in 14.6% of the patients (n=66), Hodgkin's lymphoma in 8.8% (n=40) and non-Hodgkin's disease in 8.8% (n=40). Malignancy was more common in adults than children (19.5% vs. 1.6%, respectively and reactive disease was more common in children than adults (65.3% vs. 47.3%, respectively). Metastatic disease was more likely in the older age group (17.7% vs. 0%), Hodgkin's disease was found in 12.5% of the adolescents, and non-Hodgkin's disease was present in 10.3% of the adults and elderly.

CONCLUSION

The most common histopathological findings for cervical lymph node biopsies in eastern Saudi Arabia were reactive disease and granulomatous disease.

First Canadian Reports of Cervical Adenitis Due to Mycobacterium Malmoense and a 10-year Review of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Adenitis

The present report reviews a decade of experience with nontuberculous mycobacterial adenitis at a pediatric referral centre, noting that patients are often subjected to multiple ineffective antibiotic courses, and that delays in diagnosis and referral for appropriate therapy are common. Notable clinical features include a mean age of presentation of 3.4 years, a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.5 and a gradual onset of painless, unilateral cervical adenopathy. Fever was absent in most patients (77%), and the disease failed to respond to antistaphylococcal antibiotics. The mean time to correct diagnosis was longer than three months (15 weeks). The clinical features of the disease are highlighted and presented with a practical diagnostic approach to the child with subacute/chronic adenitis. New molecular diagnostic tools and emerging mycobacteria are discussed, including the first reports of Mycobacterium malmoense adenitis in Canada.

Epstein-Barr virus infection as a cause of cervical lymphadenopathy in children

OBJECTIVE

Cervical lymphadenopathy is a common pediatric problem; reactive hyperplasia, specific infective agents, and malignancy are mainly the differential diagnosis. The aim of our study was to detect the prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus infection among children who complained of cervical lymphadenopathy and also to evaluate the clinical manifestations of the disease in pediatric patients.

METHODS

One hundred and sixty children presented with cervical lymphadenopathy were subjected to Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) serology testing. Cases that showed positivity to heterophile antibody test, and/or EBV-specific antibodies; IgM against viral capsid antigen (VCA-IgM) and IgG against viral capsid antigen (VCA-IgG) were evaluated clinically for manifestations of the disease.

RESULTS

Twenty-four cases (15%) showed positivity to EBV serology, all of them had posterior cervical lymph nodes enlargement, 70.8% had fever, 66.6% had tonsillo-pharyngitis, 58.3% had splenomegaly, 25% had hepatomegaly, 41.6% had generalized lymphadenopathy, while skin rash was detected in 12.5%, and both palatal petechiae and palpebral edema were detected in 8.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

EBV infection is not a rare cause of cervical lymphadenopathy in children. Posterior cervical lymphadenopathy in pediatric age group may represent a password for suspicion of EBV infection, while other clinical manifestations of the disease may include hepato-splenomegaly, skin rash, palpebral edema and palatal petechiae.

Combining fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and high-resolution melt analysis to reduce diagnostic delay in Mycobacterial lymphadenitis

Tuberculous lymphadenitis is the most common cause of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in developing countries. Lymphadenitis caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) requires consideration, particularly in immunocompromised patients and children in developed countries. Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) offers a valuable specimen collection technique, but culture confirmation, mycobacterial speciation and drug resistance testing (if indicated) is often unavailable in TB endemic areas and result in unacceptable diagnostic delay. We evaluated the diagnostic value of high-resolution DNA melting (HRM) analysis in the diagnosis of mycobacterial lymphadenopathy using FNAB and an inexpensive transport medium. Specimens were collected from patients referred to the FNAB Clinic at Tygerberg Hospital (June 2007-May 2008) with clinical mycobacterial lymphadenitis. Cytology, culture, and HRM were performed on all specimens. The reference standard for disease was defined as positive cytology (morphological evidence plus mycobacterial visualization) and/or a positive culture. Specimens were collected from 104 patients and mycobacterial disease was confirmed in 54 (51.9%); 52 Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 1 Mycobacterium Bovis BCG and 1 NTM. Cytology was positive in 83.3% (45/54) and culture in 72.2% (39/54) of patients. HRM identified 57.4% (31/54) of cases. By using the defined reference standard, we recorded 94.0% specificity and 51.9% sensitivity (positive predictive value 90.3%) with HRM analysis.HRM analysis allowed rapid and species specific diagnosis of mycobacterial lymph adenitis in the majority of patients, permitting early institution of appropriate therapy. Optimization of this technique requires further study.

Oropharyngeal lesions and cervical lymphadenopathy: syphilis is a differential diagnosis that is still relevant

Background

Syphilis (lues), a chronic infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum, has been increasing in incidence during the last few years. Therefore, while clinically it is often not suspected, syphilis is increasingly becoming a differential diagnosis in routine pathology.

Aim

To report our experience with five cases of cervical lymphadenopathy and/or oropharyngeal lesions, clinically thought to be lymphomas, lymph node metastases or carcinoma, in which we made the mostly clinically unsuspected diagnosis of syphilis.

Methods

Fine needle aspiration of enlarged cervical lymph nodes was evaluated by cytology and flow cytometry (fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis), and biopsies were examined by using histology. In addition, all materials were also subjected to immunostaining, silver staining and molecular (PCR) testing.

Results

Fine needle aspiration cytology revealed follicular hyperplasia in two cases and granulomatous lymphadenitis in one case. In three patients, concomitant biopsy of co-existing oropharyngeal lesions revealed histological findings compatible with syphilis. T pallidum was detected in all cytological and histological samples by immunohistochemistry/immunocytochemistry and PCR. Subsequently, a diagnosis of syphilis was confirmed clinically and by serology.

Conclusions

Syphilitic lymphadenitis is still a relevant differential diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathy, and it is clinically often not suspected. Co-exisiting oropharyngeal lesions should alert the physician to this differential diagnosis; and lesions with compatible morphology should be tested with immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry and/or molecular analysis to confirm the diagnosis of syphilis.

The ongoing problem with peripheral lymphadenopathies: which ones are malignant?

PURPOSE

Peripheral lymphadenopathy is frequently encountered in children, but it is difficult to determine the etiology. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the risk of malignancy in childhood peripheral lymphadenopathy, determine the factors accompanying a malignant etiology and find out which additional findings strongly indicate malignancy.

METHODS

Patients from whom a peripheral lymphadenopathy biopsy had been obtained between January 2005 and December 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups as malignant and benign.

RESULTS

There were 32 patients in the malignant group and 52 in the benign group. The mean age was higher (P < 0.001), lymphadenopathy duration shorter (P = 0.007) and lymphadenopathy size larger (P = 0.019) in the malignant group. The incidence of malignancy was higher in supraclavicular and axillary lymphadenopathies. Hodgkin's disease was the most common disease in the malignant group, while it was reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in the benign group. The biopsy result was malignant in 58.3% of abdominal and 60% of mediastinal lymphadenopathy cases. The best indicator for malignancy was a hypoactive spleen nodule.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased patient age, supraclavicular lymphadenopathy localization, presence of abdominal or mediastinal lymphadenopathy and especially a hypoactive spleen nodule increase the risk of malignancy.

Cervical lymphadenopathy in childhood epidemiology and management

Cervical lymphadenopathy (CL) is common in childhood. The aim of this study is to evaluate the etiology, follow-up, and treatment of persistent CL. The authors studied retrospectively 50 children with CL, hospitalized at the Department of Pediatrics and Pediatrics Surgery. Patients underwent ultrasonography. Thirty-six percent presented abnormal ultrasonographic image and underwent excisional biopsy. Biopsies revealed 4 thyroglossal cysts, 3 branchial cysts, 1 hemangioma, 2 sebaceous cysts, 1 dermoid cyst, 5 occurrences of tuberculosis lymphadenitis, 1 occurrence of Bartonella henselae lymphadenopathy, and 1 case of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In conclusion, CL is usually a benign finding; bacterial and viral infections are the most common causes. Ultrasonography help in etiology and follow-up of CL.

Reactive lymphadenopathy in Ugandan patients and its relationship to EBV and HIV infection

In Uganda, a large number of biopsied enlarged lymph nodes is diagnosed as reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) not indicative of a specific etiologic agent. The aim of this study was to examine the spectrum of RLH in lymph node biopsies in Ugandan patients and their possible association with HIV and EBV infection. Ninety biopsies were retrieved and included in the study. The predominant RLH type was follicular, found in 45 (50.0%) of the cases. Positive staining for LMP-1 was found in six cases (6.7%), EBNA-1 in 36 cases (40.0%) and HIV1-p24 in 15 cases (16.7%), respectively. A combination of EBV and HIV positivity was found in 46 (52.2%) of the cases. EBV infection was associated with hyperplastic germinal centers (p<0.01). HIV1-p24 positive staining was associated with follicle fragmentation (p<0.01) but not hyperplastic GC (p=0.08). In conclusion, RLH in Ugandan patients is frequently associated with EBV and HIV infection. The histologic features of the lymph nodes are not specific for any individual infection, but a high number of EBV-positive cases are associated with hyperplastic GC, and follicular fragmentation is characteristic of HIV infection.

Disease spectrum of cervical lymphadenitis: Analysis based on ultrasound-guided core-needle gun biopsy

OBJECTIVES

Despite the high frequency of cervical lymphadenopathy in the outpatient clinics, there was no published data on the disease spectrum of cervical lymphadenopathy among adult outpatients. We are evaluating the disease spectrum of cervical lymphadenitis in the outpatient setting.

METHODS

As for the patients with cervical lymphadenitis, ultrasound-guided core-needle gun biopsy has been performed in Korea University Hospital. We reviewed medical records of adult outpatients with cervical lymphadenitis between January 2004 and April 2006, and compared the clinical, laboratory and radiological differences among them.

RESULTS

The study included 147 patients with the mean age of 33.7 years. Histopathological diagnoses were obtained from 137 (93.2%) cases: Kikuchi's disease (34.7%), tuberculous lymphadenitis (22.4%), non-specific lymphadenitis (22.4%), lymphoma (6.1%), metastatic carcinoma (3.4%), etc. Overall, clinical manifestations were indistinguishable among tuberculous lymphadenitis, Kikuchi's disease and non-specific lymphadenitis. Leucopenia was characteristic of Kikuchi's disease, while anemia, thrombocytosis and pulmonary tuberculosis (irrespective of activity) were more common in the tuberculous lymphadenitis.

CONCLUSION

Kikuchi's disease and tuberculosis were the most common and clinically important causes of cervical lymphadenitis. Complete blood count, chest X-ray and ultrasound-guided core-needle gun biopsy would be helpful in the differential diagnosis of cervical lymphadenitis, especially between Kikuchi's disease and tuberculous lymphadenitis.

Unilateral cervical mass as a main clue raising the diagnostic suspicion of Kawasaki syndrome

Unilateral cervical mass and fever were firstly misdiagnosed as bacterial lymphadenitis in a 6-year-old child and empirically treated with antibiotics. Later the child developed the additional features of Kawasaki syndrome and received intravenous immunoglobulins at the eighth day since fever onset with progressive disappearance of the cervical mass and no cardiac sequel. Kawasaki syndrome should be considered in childhood as a relevant cause of cervical lymphadenopathy unresponding to antibiotics: its recognition at an early stage might contribute to anticipate a proper treatment and abate heart complication rate.

Neuroblastoma masquerading as cervical lymphadenitis

Cervical lymphadenitis is a common pediatric finding prompting medical evaluation. The most common etiologies are infectious and reactive. The location of the involved lymph node group may provide clues to the origin of the underlying pathologic process. We describe a 21-month-old boy with metastatic neuroblastoma who presented with classic findings of infectious lymphadenitis. Surgical intervention and careful examination of histopathology led to this unexpected diagnosis.

Cervical lymphadenopathy in children--incidence and diagnostic management

OBJECTIVE

Palpable lymph nodes are common due to the reactive hyperplasia of lymphatic tissue mainly connected with local inflammatory process. Differential diagnosis of persistent nodular change on the neck is different in children, due to higher incidence of congenital abnormalities and infectious diseases and relative rarity of malignancies in that age group. The aim of our study was to analyse the most common causes of childhood cervical lymphadenopathy and determine of management guidelines on the basis of clinical examination and ultrasonographic evaluation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The research covered 87 children with cervical lymphadenopathy. Age, gender and accompanying diseases of the patients were assessed. All the patients were diagnosed radiologically on the basis of ultrasonographic evaluation.

RESULTS

Reactive inflammatory changes of bacterial origin were observed in 50 children (57.5%). Fever was the most common general symptom accompanying lymphadenopathy and was observed in 21 cases (24.1%). The ultrasonographic evaluation revealed oval-shaped lymph nodes with the domination of long axis in 78 patients (89.66%). The proper width of hilus and their proper vascularization were observed in 75 children (86.2%). Some additional clinical and laboratory tests were needed in the patients with abnormal sonographic image.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasonographic imaging is extremely helpful in diagnostics, differentiation and following the treatment of childhood lymphadenopathy. Failure of regression after 4-6 weeks might be an indication for a diagnostic biopsy.

Evaluation of peripheral lymphadenopathy in children

The aim of this study was to evaluate children with lymphadenopathy and clinical approach to the suspicion of malignancy. The authors evaluated 457 patients with peripheral lymphadenopathy, less than 19 years of age, and referred to the Pediatric Oncology Department of Gazi University Medical School during the periods March 1996-April 2004. A total of 346 patients had benign disorders and 111 had malignant pathologies. Excisional biopsies were performed to 134 patients. A specific etiology could be found 39% in the benign group. Of the 457 patients, 218 were presented as acute, the rest as chronic lymphadenopathy. In the acute lymphadenopathy group, 98.2% of the patients had benign etiologies. The malignant disorders were mostly represented as chronic lymphadenopathy. Concerning the extension, 193 patients had localized lymphadenopathy and 264 had generalized lymphadenopaties. Cervical region was the most frequent site in both localized and generalized lymphadenopathy groups. Malignancies occurred as generalized lymphadenopathy. Supraclavicular area were involved only in the malignant group. Axillary involvement was predominant in BCG vaccine associated lymphadenitis and mycobacterium tuberculosis. All the lymph nodes less than 1 cm were due to benign causes. The malignant lesions were usually more than 3 cm in diameters. The following findings should alert the pediatrician for the probability of a malignant disorder: lymphadenopathy of more than 3 cm in size, of more than 4 weeks in duration, with supraclavicular involvement, and with abnormal laboratory and radiological findings.

Analysis of children with peripheral lymphadenopathy

In this study, the clinical and laboratory features of children with lymphadenopathy were evaluated. Over a 3-year period, 126 patients were referred to the clinic for lymphadenopathy. Twenty-eight of cases have diseases mimicking lymphadenopathy; 98 (mean age: 86+/-55 months) have lymphadenopathy. Localized, limited, and generalized involvement was found in 52%, 30%, and 18% of patients. The most common localization was the head and neck region. The causes of lymphadenopathy were benign diseases in 75 patients. Sixty percent were reactive lymphadenopathy, 39% were lymphadenitis. Lymphadenitis was more frequently localized and bigger than 3 cm compared with reactive adenopathy (p=.02, p=.004). Twenty-three patients have malignant diseases whose mean age was higher than others (p=.002). The enlargement of supraclavicular nodes was more likely due to malignant disease (p=.001). The risk of malignant disease was higher in patients who had generalized lymphadenopathy, lymph nodes bigger than 3 cm, hepatosplenomegaly, and high lactate dehydrogenase levels. In conclusion, this study pointed out the important clues for the differential diagnosis, which were present in the history, physical, and laboratory findings.

Tuberculosis in children: an update

TB is a common and serious global infection that is spread exclusively from person to person. The initial infection in most healthy people leads to LTBI 95% of the time, but untreated individuals have a 5% to 10% lifetime risk for reactivating their infection to develop highly infectious cavitary pulmonary TB or extrapulmonary disease. Following primary infection progressive disease is more likely to develop in children younger than 5 years old or those who are immunocompromised, particularly those with HIV infection. The diagnosis of TB in most of the world depends on the presence of a clinical illness typical for TB in concert with radiographic changes, the presence of AFB in sputum, or a positive TST. Newer methods of in vitro stimulation of T lymphocytes from TB-infected people to produce interferon may be more accurate than a TST but have yet to be well studied in children. Treatment of children with LTBI is generally 9 months of daily isoniazid unless the child has been in contact with an adult with known isoniazid-resistant TB. For active TB, children generally are treated for 6 months with an initial 2 months of isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide. Where exposure to an isoniazid-resistant strain is likely, ethambutol is added. After 2 months, pyrazinamide is discontinued unless the patient has been confirmed to have been infected with a resistant strain of M. tuberculosis. BCG, rarely used in the United States, is still considered important to prevent meningitis and miliary disease in very young children in areas of the world with a high prevalence of TB.