Cervical Node: Or something else? Differential Diagnosis

Congenital malformations, deformities, and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99).

  • Cervical rib (synonyms: cervical rib; costa cervicalis; pl: costae cervicales) – extra rib arising from the cervical spine; may be unilateral as well as bilateral.
  • Lateral cervical cyst – remnants of the gill arches or gill furrows.
  • Median neck cyst – congenital cyst caused by defective regression of the ductus thyreoglossus.
  • Gullet pocket – a gullet pocket refers to retractions on the foregut of the embryo (during embryogenesis).

Blood, hematopoietic organs – immune system (D50-D90).

Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E90).

Skin and subcutaneous (L00-L99)

  • Epidermal cyst – prallelastic, skin-colored cysts arising from hair follicles that grow slowly and may become infected.
  • Glomus caroticum aneurysm – small, nodular paraganglion (about 3 mm in diameter), located at the junction of the left and right carotid arteries (common carotid artery)

Cardiovascular system (I00-I99).

  • Nonspecific lymphadenitis (lymphadenitis) associated with local infection.

Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).

  • Actinomycosis (radiation mycosis) – chronic infectious disease caused by Actinomyces israelii.
  • Scrofuloderm (form of tuberculosis affecting the skin), especially in the neck, originating from the lymph nodes.

Neoplasms – tumor diseases (C00-D48).

  • Glomus caroticum tumor – neoplasm in the area of the paraganglion in the wall of the carotid bifurcation.
  • Hygroma cysticum colli – congenital lymph node conglomerate.
  • Lymphoma – malignant neoplasm originating from the lymphatic system (e.g. Hodgkin’s disease).
  • Metastasis (daughter tumor) of an unspecified neoplasm.
  • Thyroid carcinoma (thyroid cancer)

Symptoms and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings not elsewhere classified (R00-R99).

  • Lymphadenopathy (lymph node enlargement) (see for differential diagnoses under the topic of the same name).

Further

  • Normal lymph node (in prominent position).