Persistent palpable cervical lymph nodes in Nigerian children

A study of 105 consecutive Nigerian children with palpable cervical lymph nodes was carried out over a 4-year period from January 1983 to January 1987 at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. In 43 (41%) of these children, the initial diagnosis was non-specific lymphadenitis, in 27 (25.7%) tuberculosis, in 18 (17.1%) lymphoma, in 9 (8.6%) metastasis to cervical lymph nodes, and in 8 (7.6%) sinus histiocytosis. The correlation between clinical assessment and histological findings was good in conditions like tuberculosis, metastasis and lymphoma, fair in chronic non-specific lymphadenitis, and poor in sinus histiocytosis. It is, therefore, mandatory that the histological study of chronically enlarged cervical lymph nodes be made in children before definitive treatment is started.