​Symptoms and Signs – Differential Diagnosis of Lymphadenopathy
GENERALIZED
• AIDS
• Lymphoma: Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Leukemias, reticuloendotheliosis
• Infectious mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and other viral infections
• Diffuse skin infection: generalized furunculosis, multiple tick bites
• Parasitic infections: toxoplasmosis, filariasis, leishmaniasis,
Chagas’ disease
• Serum sickness
• Collagen-vascular diseases (rheumatoid arthritis [RA], systemic
lupus erythematosus [SLE])
• Sarcoidosis and other granulomatous diseases
• Dengue (arbovirus infection)
• Drugs: isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH), hydantoin derivatives,
antithyroid and antileprosy drugs
• Secondary syphilis
• Hyperthyroidism, lipid storage diseases
LOCALIZED
Cervical Nodes
• Infections of the head, neck, ears, sinuses, scalp, pharynx
• Mononucleosis
• Lymphoma
• TB
• Malignant neoplasm of head and neck
• Rubella
Scalene/Supraclavicular Nodes
• Lymphoma
• Lung neoplasm
• Bacterial or fungal infection of thorax or retroperitoneum
• GI malignant disease
Axillary Nodes
• Infections of hands and arms
• Cat-scratch disease
• Neoplasm (lymphoma, melanoma, breast carcinoma)
• Brucellosis
Epitrochlear Nodes
• Infections of the hand
• Lymphoma
• Tularemia
• Sarcoidosis, secondary syphilis (usually bilateral)
Inguinal Nodes
• Infections of leg or foot, folliculitis (pubic hair)
• Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), syphilis
• Lymphoma
• Pelvic malignant neoplasm
• Pasteurella pestis
Hilar Nodes
• Sarcoidosis
• TB
• Lung carcinoma
• Fungal infections, systemic
Mediastinal Nodes
• Sarcoidosis
• Lymphoma
• Lung neoplasm
• TB
• Mononucleosis
• Histoplasmosis
Abdominal/Retroperitoneal Nodes
• Lymphoma
• TB
• Exclude other causes of edema (e.g., cirrhosis, nephrosis, congestive heart failure, myxedema, hypoalbuminemia, chronic venous stasis, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, obstruction from abdominal or pelvic malignant neoplasm)
• Neoplasm (ovary, testes, prostate, and other malignant neoplasms)