Lymph nodes

Abstract

The most common indication for lymphadenectomy is persistent lymphadenopathy without a clinically apparent cause, but lymph nodes are also removed as part of the staging procedure for many carcinomas and as treatment of certain neoplasms which have metastasized to lymph nodes, such as cutaneous malignant melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Occasionally, enlarged lymph nodes are found incidentally at operation for an apparently unrelated condition, such as carotid endarterectomy or hernia repair, and are sent to the laboratory to rule out neoplasia. Lymphadenectomy for the investigation of congenital immune disorders is a rare event nowadays, as the diagnosis is made on peripheral blood cells and serum specimens. Increasingly more common are lymph nodes from patients with acquired immune deficiency, particularly that due to HIV infection, in whom neoplasia is suspected.