DS raised lymph node on neck

[Foreverbaffled]

My 4 year old DS had a horrible virus a couple of weeks ago (very high temperature, snotty and cough) which came on quickly but also passed through within 48 hours. A gland on the front of his neck swelled quickly just before the onset of his fever and has remained since (2 weeks later) despite him being free of symptoms. It is pretty big and the skin around it puffy.

I thought it was reducing a few days ago but it's as big as ever this morning. But he did also wake up snotty so maybe that's part of it and another virus is hitting. He is rarely ill usually.

GP wants to re-review in 3 weeks and don't seem concerned but I'm in a real state worrying about things like lymphoma.

He is otherwise well, healthy, happy and active.

Looking for reassurance that it doesn't have to be something horrible.

Thanks in advance.

Picture!

Some people are just 'glandy' people. I am and so is my daughter. It takes ages for our glands to go down again if we've had an infection, even if we feel perfectly well.

Thank you for the reassurance. It just seems to be taking so much time and it's so big! I appreciate my anxiety is clouding my judgement though.

Is the GP re reviewing specifically for the node? If so, they will have examined and found nothing worrying. Lymphoma nodes are usually hard, irregular, fixed in position unlike reactive nodes which are usually soft, smooth and mobile.

If GP isn't yet aware of the node it would be worth contacting before 3 weeks if making you anxious.

I think the fact that he’s been poorly and that coincided with the lymph node is reassuring. If he remains well then it’s probably fine to wait and see the GP on the appropriate timescale. If he’s unwell with fever etc then infection of the lymph node itself is a possibility. I don’t think lymphoma is particularly likely given his history of being unwell.

Hi, the exact thing happened to my son.
It was a year ago now that I first noticed it, docs also sent me away for a few weeks and did not seem concerned,
I suffer with anxiety so went back to docs about 3 times in total about it and even a trip up the hospital to a specialist to have it looked at (think they only sent me to prove nothing to worry about) hospital insisted he was absolutely fine, and some children this just happens to. Apparently the more sinister lumps feel completely different and they can normally tell right away. And if your child is otherwise well in themselves then that's the biggest sign that he's fine.
Mine still has a small lump there now, that inflames when he gets a cold or a bug.
You're still right to get checked out obviously but I would just say as hard as it is, try not to worry as its very likely a similar scenario!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4459933-To-take-16mo-to-A-E-In-need-of-a-hand-hold

There was a thread on this very recently which you may find helpful.

DC1 had enlarged glands for years after repeated infections. He was eventually referred for a blood test to rule out anything nasty and was fine.

My 4yo has had this, enlarged node on his neck and he hadn't even been poorly so I was very worried GP wasn't concerned but referred to a paediatrician (we used DH's private cover as I was too worried to even wait 2 weeks), she was very reassuring and said that sinister ones feel different (they are usually fixed rather than movable, though I couldn't tell his were movable). She also said sinister ones tend to grow very quickly and multiply in number. Apparently its very common for them to become enlarged after illness and then never go down. She even thought my DS's could have been from the MMR vaccine. Please try not to worry, but if you're anything like me it might be worth pushing for a referral to a paediatrician as I know it's the only way I was going to be satisfied!

@Birchtree4

Is the GP re reviewing specifically for the node? If so, they will have examined and found nothing worrying. Lymphoma nodes are usually hard, irregular, fixed in position unlike reactive nodes which are usually soft, smooth and mobile.

If GP isn't yet aware of the node it would be worth contacting before 3 weeks if making you anxious.

GP is reviewing the node in person in three weeks but this is following a telephone consultation yesterday after I sent them a photo. I think because it appeared at the same time as a virus they just want to give it proper time to recover. I can't get a proper feel of it myself as my son gets upset with me but he says it doesn't hurt and it feels sort of rubbery rather than solid. There might be more than one in there too, it's just hard to know when you're not an expert. Thank you for your advice

@Tonsiltrouble and @Mylo25 Thanks both for the reassurance, it really does help. I struggle a lot with anxiety so find it hard to know when I've crossed the line between normal mum worries and irrational thoughts! The fact DS is healthy and full of beans is very reassuring (and also that he fought the original virus off extremely quickly!)

@Donotgogentle

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4459933-To-take-16mo-to-A-E-In-need-of-a-hand-hold

There was a thread on this very recently which you may find helpful.

DC1 had enlarged glands for years after repeated infections. He was eventually referred for a blood test to rule out anything nasty and was fine.

Thank you for sharing that thread. Some of the responses are a bit alarming but actually the ones that matter (eg the one from an A&E doctor and the update from the OP) are very reassuring that this is very common and usually no issue.

@Sundayrain

My 4yo has had this, enlarged node on his neck and he hadn't even been poorly so I was very worried GP wasn't concerned but referred to a paediatrician (we used DH's private cover as I was too worried to even wait 2 weeks), she was very reassuring and said that sinister ones feel different (they are usually fixed rather than movable, though I couldn't tell his were movable). She also said sinister ones tend to grow very quickly and multiply in number. Apparently its very common for them to become enlarged after illness and then never go down. She even thought my DS's could have been from the MMR vaccine. Please try not to worry, but if you're anything like me it might be worth pushing for a referral to a paediatrician as I know it's the only way I was going to be satisfied!

Thanks for much for this. It's hard to know whether my DS's counts as moveable or not but it's not a rock hard mass or anything, more springy I think. But DS is reluctant to let me fiddle

I'm going to try and hold my nerve for another week or so - he came home from preschool today very snotty so it might be he has another virus so the gland is staying raised for that reason. Hopefully we'll see a reduction soon. If he gets any other symptoms I will ask to be seen sooner obviously.

The swollen gland is still there over a month later! We saw the GP who wasn't concerned and said to come back in a month or two if still there but even so they will probably just say the same thing - ie that it's nothing to worry about. It's large but smooth and moves. This seems in stark contrast to other experiences on here where children are fast tracked for scans and bloods etc. Not sure if my GP is being negligent or sensible!

DS is very very well and full of energy (in fact more so than I think he was for most of Jan and Feb so maybe he was fighting something low level for a long time).

I however can't stop worrying about it.

Another pic

Any update?

DS is absolutely fine! Gland eventually went down a few months later and then back up again when he was next ill. It’s much smaller again now but still there. We ended up having it scanned (ultrasound) and apparently the node itself was only 1cm in diameter but covered in fatty tissue which is why it looked and felt so massive. It was perfectly normal and nothing to worry about 🙂