Lymphadenitis Health Dictionary

A medical term for inflammation of the lymph nodes, which is a common cause of lymphadenopathy (see glands, swollen).

Inflammation or swelling of one or more lymph nodes. It may be an acute response or chronic, but signals the drainage into those nodes of microbes, their waste products, or the immuno-complexes produced upstream, whether from infection or allergy. A few infections can target or inhabit lymph nodes such as typhoid and EBV. Some people, with a past history of infection in a specific tissue (such as chronic sore throat as a kid) will have developed a LARGER sized node, hard and permanently palpable. These are hypertrophic or “shotty” nodes, and of no more importance than pumped-up muscles or old scar tissue.

In?ammation of lymphatic glands (see LYMPHATICS; GLAND).

n. inflammation of lymph nodes, which become swollen, painful, and tender. Some cases may be chronic (e.g. tuberculous lymphadenitis) but most are acute and localized adjacent to an area of infection. The most commonly affected lymph nodes are those in the neck, in association with tonsillitis. The lymph nodes help to contain and combat the infection. Occasionally generalized lymphadenitis occurs as a result of virus infections. The treatment is that of the cause.