Why perform a lymph node biopsy?
The Division of Pediatric Surgery at All Children’s Hospital performs a lymph node biopsy to diagnose the cause of persistent lymph node enlargement. It is common in children to have lymph nodes enlarge during viral infections, or to have a group of nodes enlarge and become tender if a skin infection is nearby. If lymph node enlargement does not respond to antibiotics, and particularly if the enlargement is painless without overlying skin inflammation, then removal of a sample node or part of the node is done so that microscopic examination and cultures can be done. If a lymph node becomes infected and the infected node becomes abscessed, then surgical drainage of the lymph node may be required (this is different from a biopsy). Infection is the most common reason for lymph node enlargement, but malignancies both primary (lymphoma) and metastatic (spread from tumors in other organs) do occur in lymph nodes in children.
