lymph node question - Cancer Message Board

nellie99 · 09-06-2003, 09:49 PM

About 5 years ago, my son (now 9) had an appendectomy. The doctors found that it wasn't his appendix but a lymph node that was causing the pain. They ended up removing both. Not sure what the final diagnosis was cuz I wasn't aware that they biopsied it until last year. I'm sure it was hyperplasia or the like.

Last year he developed a lump under his chin. We went to the doctor, got antibiotics, and discovered at the follow up that it was hard and matted, had grown to 4.3cm., and my son's liver function tests were elevated. We were in a foreign country at the time, so we were sent back to the states. We had an ultrasound done when we got back, and the node had numerous blood vessels and looked malignant to the radiologist. They sent us for a CT scan right after the ultrasound fearing that he had tumors elsewhere. All was clear there.

We had the node removed and the initial reports came back idicative of Hodgkins Lyphoma. However, when the final reports came back, the diagnosis was inconclusive. We didn't give it much thought after that.

Now my son brought another lump to my attention last month. It is in his lower abdomen. I'm not sure whether it is a lymph node or not, but we thought we'd give it some time to go down if it is. We aren't big on spending time in the doctor's office anyway. I am not worried about him having cancer at all (just posting here cuz there is so much about lymph nodes). I know that 99% of swollen lymph nodes in kids are reactive, but I was wondering if there is such a thing as having overactive lymph nodes. When his swell, they always get hard and swell to 2-4cm. I had asked a doctor about this before, but I really never got an answer. If there is such a thing, I would like to talk to the doctor about it this week when we go in, but if there isn't, I don't want to sound like a complete moron. I just don't want to keep going through the "cut and biopsy" cycle everytime he gets a swollen lymph node if it isn't neccessary.

If anyone has any information, it would be greatly appreciated.

soccer1421 · 04-11-2006, 12:36 PM

It seems to me that you should probably go to a doctor again...perhaps a different one for a second opinion. Even if his lumps aren't malignant, it seems odd that he keeps getting them. Sometimes doctors (even good doctors) get in a frame of reference and its hard to look outside the box. I would suggest a second opinion.