ASSESSMENT OF PERIPHERAL LYMPHADENOPATHIES: Experience at a Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Department in Turkey

• Published in: Pediatric hematology and oncology 2002, Vol.19 (4), p.211-218
• Main Authors: Kumral, Abdullah, Olgun, Nur, Uysal, Kamer Mutafo lu, Çorapcío lu, Funda, Ören, Hale, Saríalio lu, Faik
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Child; Children; Diagnosis, Differential; Etiology; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hematologic Tests; Hematology; Hospital Departments; Humans; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymphatic Diseases - diagnosis; Lymphatic Diseases - etiology; Medical Oncology; Medical sciences; Other diseases. Hematologic involvement in other diseases; Peripheral Lymphadenopathy; Radiography, Thoracic; Retrospective Studies; Turkey
• ISSN: 0888-0018; 1521-0669
• DOI: 10.1080/08880010252899361

Since a large variety of disorders may lead to lymph node enlargement, determining the cause of peripheral lymphadenopathy (LAP) in children can be difficult. This retrospective study evaluated 200 children who were admitted to an Oncology-Hematology department because of lymphadenopathy and aimed to determine the clinical and laboratory findings that were valuable for differential diagnosis. A specific cause for lymphadenopathy was documented in 93 (46.5%) cases. One hundred forty (70%) children were classified as having a benign cause for lymph node enlargements. Fourteen (10%) of these cases underwent an excisional lymph node biopsy, and histopathological examination showed a reactive hyperplasia. Sixty (30%) cases were classified as having a malignant disease-causing lymphadenopathy. In terms of differential diagnosis, some associated systemic symptoms, physical findings, and laboratory investigations showed significant difference between benign and malignant lymphadenopathy groups. The following findings were determined as being important to alert the physician about the probability of a malignant disorder: location of the lymphadenopathy (supraclavicular and posterior auricular), duration of the lymph node enlargement (> 4 weeks), size of the lymph node (> 3cm), abnormal complete blood cell findings, abnormalities in chest X-ray, and abdominal ultrasonography.