All posts by : Dr Prabhu Prasad

• The lymph nodes are an important part of the lymphatic system, which helps protect the body from disease-causing organisms, such as bacteria.
• The lymph nodes sometimes swell when fighting an infection. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy is the medical term for swollen lymph nodes in the chest.
• Usually, chest lymph nodes are too deep in the chest for a person to feel them. However, the nodes may cause pain when they swell. In most cases, swollen lymph nodes in the chest appear on an imaging scan such as a CT scan of the chest.
• Along the collarbone, it may be possible for a person to feel swollen lymph nodes. These lymph nodes may swell when there is an infection, especially in nearby areas such as the breasts or throat.
• Swollen lymph node can signal a serious underlying condition, such as cancer or an infection. Lymph nodes can also swell for no apparent reason.
• In this article, we look at the possible causes of swollen lymph nodes in the chest and their treatments.
• Causes of swollen lymph nodes in the chest

The lymphatic system is part of the immune system, and it helps filter out harmful materials, such as infections or cancer cells. It includes a network of vessels, similar to blood vessels, connecting the many different lymph nodes.

These small nodes sometimes swell when the body is filtering out something harmful. They can also swell for no apparent reason, either because of chronic health issues or due to lymph node diseases, such as Kikuchi disease.

Swollen lymph nodes may occur in a single location or throughout the body. The site of the swelling often provides clues to the source of the problem.

For example, a person with a swollen lymph node in the neck might have a tooth abscess or strep throat.

Swollen lymph nodes in the chest often mean a person has a serious underlying medical condition. Some potential causes include:

• Lung cancer: Swelling in the lymph nodes surrounding the lungs and in the chest may mean that a person has lung cancer or that lung cancer is spreading to other areas of the body.
• Lymphoma: Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes. It can affect lymph nodes anywhere in the body and may begin in the chest or spread to the chest from other lymph nodes.
• Sarcoidosis: Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can damage the lungs.
• Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis is a serious infection that affects the lungs and may spread elsewhere in the body. It can cause swollen lymph nodes.
• Other infectionsTrusted Source: Other infections, especially those that affect the lungs, may cause swollen lymph nodes. Examples include bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections, such as pneumonia, HIV, histoplasmosis, and toxoplasmosis, respectively. However, mononucleosis, a viral infection, rarely causes the lymph nodes in the chest to swell.
• Other causes: Other serious health issues, such as heart failure or interstitial lung disease, can sometimes cause swollen chest lymph nodes.

An airway obstruction is a blockage in any part of the airway. The airway is a complex system of tubes that transmits inhaled air from your nose and mouth into your lungs. An obstruction may partially or totally prevent air from getting into your lungs.

Some airway obstructions are minor, while others are life threatening emergencies that require immediate medical attention.

Types of airway obstructions

The types of airway obstructions are classified based on where the obstruction occurs and how much it blocks:

• Upper airway obstructions occur in the area from your nose and lips to your larynx (voice box).
• Lower airway obstructions occur between your larynx and the narrow passageways of your lungs.
• Partial airway obstructions allow some air to pass. You can still breathe with a partial airway obstruction, but it’s difficult.
• Complete airway obstructions don’t allow any air to pass. You can’t breathe if you have a complete airway obstruction.
• Acute airway obstructions are blockages that occur quickly. Choking on a foreign object is an example of an acute airway obstruction.
• Chronic airway obstructions occur two ways: by blockages that take a long time to develop or by blockages that last for a long time.

What causes an airway obstruction?

An airway obstruction is often depicted as someone choking on a piece of food. But that’s only one of many things that can cause an airway obstruction. Other causes include:

• inhaling or swallowing a foreign object
• small object lodged in the nose or mouth
• allergic reaction
• trauma to the airway from an accident
• vocal cord issues
• breathing in a large amount of smoke from a fire
• viral infections
• bacterial infections
• respiratory illness that causes upper airway inflammation
• swelling of the tongue or epiglottis
• abscesses in the throat or tonsils
• collapse of the tracheal wall (tracheomalacia)
• asthma
• chronic bronchitis
• emphysema

Tumors located in the cavity between the chest wall and the lungs that include pleural fluid are almost always metastatic.

Cancerous pleural tumors are commonly secondary cancers that have spread to the pleural region from somewhere else — typically the lungs.

Cancer cells travel into this area through the lymph system and bloodstream. They can produce one or more cancerous tumors. Additionally, they can trigger an abnormal amount of pleural fluid in the chest cavity — something known as pleural effusion cancer.

When oncologists can extract and evaluate the fluid, it can be used to diagnose pleural effusion cancer. Otherwise, the tumors are often noticed during X-rays for other purposes.

Pleural Cancer Causes

The most common cause of pleural cancer is mesothelioma, which is lung cancer that is related to asbestos exposure.

Pleural Cancer Symptoms

Some of the most common pleural cancer symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Coughing for a long time
• Unexpected weight loss
• Back pain
• Coughing up blood
• Fever
• Chest pain

Pleural cancer symptoms may not present in the beginning stages of the condition. Or, pleural cancer symptoms may be very similar to lung cancer symptoms. It is important to see a doctor as soon as you begin experiencing symptoms. He or she will ask you how long you have been experiencing symptoms as well as other questions that will help figure out the cause of your problem.

Pleural Cancer Diagnosis

Pleural cancer does not usually cause symptoms, so it is unlikely that a patient will realize they have the condition unless it is found on an imaging test.

Some of the most common diagnostic tests and procedures include:

• Chest X-rays
• Computed tomography (CT scans)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Positron-emission tomography (PET)
• Bronchoscopy
• Tissue biopsy