Location

The main lymph node stations are located on the head (below and behind the ear, on the back of the head, on the lower jaw and on the chin), on the neck (neck and along the neck vessels), in the armpit, in the abdominal and thoracic cavity, on the collarbone and in the groin. The lymph nodes in the neck area make up about one third of all lymph nodes. Because of the air and foodways, the body is particularly exposed to pathogens here, and a large part of the lymph flows together here, namely from the head, neck, trunk and arms.

The lymph nodes are mainly located at the front along the trachea and around the thyroid gland and laterally along the blood vessels and on the sternocleidomastoid muscle (in English “the big head turner”: the muscle that emerges when the head is turned to one side). There are superficial and deep lymph nodes, with most of the lymph drainage in the neck being via the deeper nodes along the inner jugular veins. Since many lymph nodes in the neck are relatively superficial, they are often easy to see and feel, especially when they are swollen.

When diseases occur in the so-called tributary area (see above) of a lymph node, the lymph node becomes enlarged. This is because foreign cells and particles enter the regional lymph nodes via the lymph, whereupon the ducts dilate and more lymphocytes accumulate.Causes for the swelling of a lymph node can be an inflammation in the area of the lymph node, a tumor disease of another organ, or a lymphoma itself. In most cases, swelling of the neck is caused by swollen cervical lymph nodes.

These can also hurt when pressure is applied and are a reaction to harmless inflammation in the neck and head area or in the respiratory tract, for example a cold, tonsillitis or inflammation of the teeth. But more serious bacterial or viral infections such as Lyme disease after a tick bite, tuberculosis, glandular fever or HIV can also cause swelling of the lymph nodes. It indicates that the immune defence is active.

Normally the lymph nodes swell again after the disease has passed. However, they may still be palpable as small, painless, shifting hardenings. This phenomenon of swollen lymph nodes is called reactive lymph node swelling or lymphadenitis.

The benign enlargement can also be called pseudolymphoma. Painless swollen lymph nodes that have been hardened over a longer period of time and cannot be well delimited from the surrounding tissue, i.e. they are not displaceable, may be caused by scattering tumor cells. If an organ is affected by a tumor, the tumor cells can reach the regional lymph nodes via the lymph fluid, where they are filtered, accumulate and grow.

In this way, a lymph node metastasis develops and the lymph node becomes larger. The lymph node metastasis belongs to the regional metastases. Distant metastases, on the other hand (often in bone, liver or brain) are spread via the bloodstream.

Lymph node metastases usually only occur when the primary tumor has already advanced. They can occur with accompanying symptoms such as severe weight loss, night sweats and fever, or they can lead to the discovery of a tumor disease as the first symptom. Tumors in the head and neck region that could spread to the cervical lymph nodes are, for example, carcinoma of the oral cavity, thyroid gland, or nasopharynx.

The third cause of enlarged lymph nodes is malignant lymphoma. It describes new formations (neoplasias) of lymphatic cells due to uncontrolled growth. Hodgkin lymphomas are distinguished from non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma develops from B lymphocytes, a subspecies of lymphocytes that are responsible for the production of antibodies. After initial development in one lymph node, it spreads continuously through the lymphatic system. The causes of Hodgkin’s lymphoma are largely unknown.

Decisive for the prognosis is the stage of spread at the time of diagnosis. Typical accompanying symptoms are fever, night sweats and weight loss. Large lymphomas may cause shortness of breath and an upper influence congestion.

In this case, the enlarged lymph node squeezes a vein, which then becomes congested. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas can be further divided into B-cell and T-cell lymphomas. If the disease occurs in the so-called tributary area (see above) of a lymph node, the node becomes enlarged.

This is because foreign cells and particles enter the regional lymph nodes via the lymph, whereupon the ducts expand and more lymphocytes accumulate. The causes of swelling of a lymph node can be an inflammation in the area of the lymph node, a tumor disease of another organ, or a lymphoma itself. In most cases, swelling of the neck is caused by swollen cervical lymph nodes.

These can also hurt when pressure is applied and are a reaction to harmless inflammation in the neck and head area or the respiratory tract, for example a cold, tonsillitis or inflammation of the teeth. But more serious bacterial or viral infections such as Lyme disease after a tick bite, tuberculosis, glandular fever or HIV can also cause swelling of the lymph nodes. It indicates that the immune defence is active.

The benign enlargement can also be called pseudolymphoma. Painless swollen lymph nodes that have been hardened over a longer period of time and cannot be easily delimited from the surrounding tissue, i.e. they are not displaceable, may be caused by scattering tumor cells.If an organ is affected by a tumor, the tumor cells can reach the regional lymph nodes via the lymph fluid, where they are filtered, accumulate and grow. In this way, a lymph node metastasis develops and the lymph node becomes larger.

The lymph node metastasis belongs to the regional metastases. Distant metastases, on the other hand (often in bone, liver or brain) are spread via the bloodstream. Lymph node metastases usually only occur when the primary tumor has already advanced.

They can occur with accompanying symptoms such as severe weight loss, night sweats and fever, or they can lead to the discovery of a tumor disease as the first symptom. Tumors in the head and neck region that could spread to the cervical lymph nodes are, for example, carcinoma of the oral cavity, thyroid gland, or nasopharynx. The third cause of enlarged lymph nodes is malignant lymphoma.

It describes new formations (neoplasias) of lymphatic cells due to uncontrolled growth. Hodgkin lymphomas are distinguished from non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Hodgkin’s lymphoma develops from B lymphocytes, a subspecies of lymphocytes that are responsible for the production of antibodies.

After initial development in one lymph node, it spreads continuously through the lymphatic system. The causes of Hodgkin’s lymphoma are largely unknown. Decisive for the prognosis is the stage of spread at the time of diagnosis.

Typical accompanying symptoms are fever, night sweats and weight loss. Large lymphomas may cause shortness of breath and an upper influence congestion. In this case, the enlarged lymph node squeezes a vein, which then becomes congested. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas can be further divided into B-cell and T-cell lymphomas.