This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

History (neck swellings)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The history should take into account the following points:

  • the most significant predictors of neoplasia are: (1)
    • age
      • this is the most important predictor
      • the risk of malignancy is greater with increasing age
    • size
    • duration of the mass
    • other features in the history suggestive of a neoplasm include (1)
      • anorexia and weight loss
      • smoking
      • heavy alcohol intake
      • past history of radiotherapy
  • an infective or inflammatory cause may be indicated by (1)
    • fever and rigors
    • contact history of infectious disease
    • recent travel
    • injury to the head and neck
    • insect bites
    • exposure to pets or farm animals
  • onset of symptoms is also significant (1)
    • acute symptoms
      • e.g.fever, sore throat, and cough
      • these suggest lymphadenopathy due to an upper respiratory tract infection
    • chronic symptoms
      • e.g. sore throat, dysphagia, hoarseness
      • these suggest anatomic or functional changes in the pharynx or larynx
  • symptomps may be further grouped as
    • symptoms of systemic illness
    • specific head and neck symptoms
  • the commonest cause of a neck swelling is an enlarged lymph node. In turn, the commonest causes of an enlarged lymph node are infection or tumour. In both of these cases systemic features are important.

Reference:


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.