- 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.
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