I Have An Enlarged Lymph Node - Should It Be Checked?

Posting Date: 09/08/1999

Denise: The right lymph node on my neck has been somewhat enlarged for over five years. Although no doctor has investigated it, can you tell me what's going on?

Dr. Dean: I have lymph nodes in my body that are large too. My mom used to take me to doctors all the time but they didn't find anything.

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A sudden lymph node enlargement could be meaningful, so if that was the case, you should go to the doctor right away. The fact that you've had this for five years and that you are healthy makes me tend to be relaxed about it. That plus the fact that it hasn't done anything and that no one has wanted to do a biopsy.

Every part of our body is asymmetrical. We are all different. Some nodes are just bigger than others, and if we biopsied them, we would see a larger yet normal node.

It's good to keep track of it and notice if it changes. But if you are sure you've had it for five years, okay. Otherwise, I'd insist that you get someone to do a biopsy to be sure.

And anyone who notices a lymph node that is suddenly enlarged and painless, go to a doctor immediately, okay? Because that could have meaning.