The swollen neck. Cervical lymphadenitis, parotitis, thyroiditis, and infected cysts

Swelling of the neck can result from a variety of causes, both infectious and noninfectious. This article describes the major causes of neck swelling from the more common infectious processes in the neck--cervical lymphadenitis, parotitis, thyroiditis, and infected cysts. The etiology and pathogenetic considerations, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, therapy, and prevention are discussed for each of these conditions.