Cervical lymphadenopathies in children: A prospective clinical cohort study

Cervical lymphadenopathy (LAP) is a common sign and may raise fears about serious illnesses. The aim of our study was to evaluate the patients with cervical LAPs in a general pediatrics clinic setting, and to evaluate follow-up results for potential causes and risk factors for malignancies.

Two hundred-eighteen patients aged between 79.4±46.7 months with LAP were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. The patients were examined in terms of demographics, clinical, radiologic and serologic aspects like Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), parvovirus B19. A lymph node biopsy was performed in selected patients. The patients were followed-up for 8 weeks and risk factors for malignancy were evaluated.

Seventy patients (41.3%) had specific etiology and 6 (2.7%) had malignant causes. The causes were as follows: 27% (n=59) infections; 2.7% (n=6) malignancies; 11.4% (n=25) other causes. EBV was responsible for 27% of infectious causes. The other common infectious etiologies were CMV 4.3%, parvovirus B-19 2.9%, and group-A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) 10.8%. Four of the six malignancies were lymphomas. Predictive factors for malignancy were having LAP larger than 30mm, rubbery lymph node, high serum CRP and LDH values, no hilum in ultrasonography, and enlargement of lymph node in follow-up. High uric acid levels and leucopenia were also common in the malignancy group.

Etiology of cervical LAPs was diagnosed in 41.3% patients. Infectious causes were the most common cause with 27%. Malignancy was diagnosed in 2.7% and lymphoma was the most common malignancy.