Clinical examination of neck swellings
- expose the patient's neck - loosen their shirt collar
- it is necessary to define information relating to the:
- site
- relation to muscles
- relation to trachea
- relation to hyoid cartilage
- examination of swelling of the neck includes (1)
- examination of skin on the head and neck
- to look for premalignant or malignant lesions caused by chronic exposure to sun
- examination of the anterior and posterior triangles of the neck
- to define the site of the lump
- palpation of the neck during swallowing
- this may identify pathology of the thyroid gland.
- otologic examination (1)
- to look for a sinus or fistula associated with a branchial anomaly
- examination mucosal surfaces ( needs wearing of gloves) (1)
- dental appliances like dentures may have to be removed first
- pharyngitis suggests reactive adenopathy
- in the tonsillar fossa, look for the following features:
- ulcerations
- submucosal swelling
- asymmetry
- palpate the tongue and the base of the tongue
- examination of the larynx and pharynx (1)
- this is done using an indirect or flexible laryngoscopy
- examination of skin on the head and neck
References
- Pynnonen M et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Evaluation of the Neck Mass in Adults. Practice Guideline. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017 Sep;157(2_suppl):S1-S30.
Related pages
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.