anthman05

Over the past year my Dad has been complaining of pains in his lower abdomen and groin area, he has also associated this with lower back pain. He went to the Doctor's of a year ago and he got scans done. He was told it was a hernia by the radiologist, then the specialist said it wasn't and was a varicose vain or something. So he left it at that.

My dad has continued to have pain during this entire time. He got more scans about 3 months ago. A CT Lumbar Spine scan. That showed the L4-5 disc space is a little narrow posteriorly. There is some reduction of normal posterior marginal disc concavity at L2-3 and L3-4. At L4-5 there is mild disc building but no focal protrusion. At L5-S1 there is minor prominence of the posterior disc margin, but no localised protrussion or significant thecal compression. There are some mild apophyseal join degenerative canges at the lumbar spine. No pars defects are evident and there is no evidence of diffuse bony canal or lateral recess stenosis. There are some mildly prominent para aortic lymph notes and it says to review the lymph nodes in 3-4 months to ensure they aren't progressive.

Well 3 months later my Dad (just last week) went for more scans. He had also recently found a lump near his right rib cage and was having that also tested.

Chest: The heart and mediastinum are normal. The lungs and pleural spaces are clear. No hilar lesion is evidence. The hilar shadows are normal.

Ultrasound of Right Lateral Chest Wall: Shows palpable swelling due to a 36 x 7 x 31mm ovoid, fairly well circumscribed body within the subcutaneous tissue. It has the sonological appearance of a lipoma. It is not cystic.

CT Scan of Abdomen: The spleen is of normal size and appearance. No adrenal, pancreatic or renal mass is evidence. There is some clarification of the aorta. It is not aneurysmal. There are prominent para-aortic and paracaval lymph nodes indicating lymphadenopathy. They are similar size to the last CT Lumbar Spine scan. Prominent lymph node masses are dmeonstrated in the mesentery. The largest 33 x 26 mm. There is a further bilobulpar lymph node mass situated ma little more inferiorly within the mesentery measuring 33 x 20mm. A 23mm diameter lymph node is evident lying to the left aorta and antero-medial to the left kidny. A 27 x 14 mm lymph nodes lies anteriorly between the aorta and inferior vena cava. The other lymph nodes tend to be smaller. The possibility of lymphoma is raised. No lymphadenopathy is demonstrated in the pelvis or at the inguinal regoins, no rectrocrural lymphadenopathy is evident.

He also had a blood test done and his white cell count, red cells and platelets are all within the normal range. Our family is distressed and we are hoping that this is nothing serious. Could it be an infection. A couple of weeks before the scan he had been pretty sick with a bad cold, maybe that's why they are swollen? Could it be that he has had a infection years ago whereby the lymph nodes never went back down from it? He is seeing an oncologist next week.

Thanks for your help.