Children with cervical lymphadenopathy: reactive or not?

BACKGROUND This study aims to evaluate the etiology of cervical lymphadenopathies in children and define significance demographic, clinical, laboratory features prediction malignancy. METHODS Medical records 527 patients were reviewed retrospectively between 2015 2019. The examined terms demographics, radiologic, serologic findings. A lymph node biopsy was performed selected patients. risk factors for malignancy evaluated. RESULTS Out children, 26 had neck masses mimicking lymphadenopathy; 501 lymphadenopathy. most common location anterior region median age 5.7 years. Thirty-nine (lymphoma 34, nasopharyngeal carcinoma 3, leukemia 1 neuroblastoma 1). associated with older age, duration > 4 weeks, size 3 cm, supraclavicular location, presence systemic symptoms, hepatosplenomegaly (p < 0.001, p 0.001). On evaluation, anemia, leukocytosis, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate found be p=0.003, CONCLUSIONS Cervical are generally benign but persisting lymphadenopathy, adolescent accompanying symptoms abnormal findings should considered an early biopsy.