What Is A Swollen Lymph Node?
A swollen node is a collection of blood vessels, which are enlarged due to excess fluid or other substances. These abnormal blood vessels may be present anywhere in the body but they tend to appear most commonly in areas where there is excessive fluid accumulation such as the groin area (groins). They can occur at any age and are not always associated with cancer.
Swollen lymph nodes usually do not cause symptoms. However, if left untreated they can lead to swelling of surrounding tissues and organs, including the lungs.
If these conditions develop rapidly enough they can result in death.
The term “nodule” refers to a collection of blood vessels rather than a nodular lesion like those found in cancer cells. A nodule is different from a cyst because it does not contain tissue or fluids; instead it contains blood vessels.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Swollen Lymph Node?
If left untreated, swollen lymph nodes can cause symptoms similar to those of other medical conditions. For example, a person suffering from congestive heart failure may experience shortness of breath when exerting themselves. Similarly, a person with diabetes may have low blood sugar levels and feel thirsty. If the patient experiences these symptoms, then they will need immediate medical attention.
In some cases, swollen lymph nodes do not produce any symptoms. This means that the patient can be unaware of its presence unless they are diagnosed by a physician.
What Are The Causes Of Swollen Lymph Nodes?
The cause of swollen lymph nodes can be due to infection or cancer. Any organ or part of the body may be at risk for swollen lymph nodes.
Sources & references used in this article:
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Management of regional lymph nodes in penile carcinoma Five-year results following therapeutic groin dissections by DE Johnson, RK Lo – Urology, 1984 – Elsevier
Distinction between benign and malignant causes of cervical, axillary, and inguinal lymphadenopathy: value of Doppler spectral waveform analysis. by MY Choi, JW Lee, KJ Jang – AJR. American journal of …, 1995 – Am Roentgen Ray Soc
First experience with gamma probe guided sentinel lymph node surgery in penile cancer by F Wawroschek, H Vogt, D Bachter, D Weckermann… – Urological …, 2000 – Springer
