Axillary adenopathy is swelling in the lymph nodes located in the arms, chest wall, and breasts. It can be a sign of a serious medical problem and can be caused by drug reactions, autoimmune diseases, infections, or cancer. Treatment options vary and can take several weeks to resolve.
Axillary adenopathy is swelling and disease in the axillary lymph nodes located along the arms, chest wall, and breasts. This can be a sign of a serious medical problem, especially when combined with other symptoms such as swollen nearby lymph nodes, fever, or fatigue. A doctor can evaluate a patient with axillary adenopathy to determine the cause and develop a treatment plan to address the problem. Treatment options can vary considerably, from a course of antibiotics to cancer chemotherapy.
In healthy patients, the axillary lymph nodes remain small. They can be felt with some effort, but shouldn’t be enlarged, warm, or tender. When the nodes swell and start to cause discomfort, it’s a sign of a problem within the body. The patient may notice tenderness around the chest and in some cases may observe redness of the skin. A doctor will be able to feel the inflamed lymph nodes easily.
Some potential causes of axillary adenopathy can include drug reactions, autoimmune diseases, and infections. The doctor can feel other lymph nodes, take the patient’s temperature, and ask the patient about any recent medical events. A blood test may also be helpful in checking for signs of infection or blood chemistry abnormalities. All of this information can be brought together to determine why the patient has disease in the axillary lymph nodes.
A recent medical history of problems such as fatigue, nausea, or bone pain may be cause for concern. The patient should also be careful to disclose all medications they currently use, including alternative medications such as herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications, such as aspirin. Sometimes a single drug is not the cause, but the cause could be a reaction to a combination of drugs.
Infections such as cat scratch fever and brucellosis can be treated with appropriate medications. If the patient has a condition such as rheumatoid arthritis, better management of the problem can reduce swelling and resolve the axillary adenopathy. Sometimes the swelling is the result of a leak or rupture of breast implants or a cancerous growth, in which case the patient may need surgery to treat the problem. Cancerous lymph nodes must be removed to protect the patient from further metastases.
The doctor may consider conservative treatments first to reduce the risks to the patient. In the case of axillary adenopathy, it can take several weeks for the swelling to completely resolve, even if the patient’s medical problem responds well to treatment. Lymph nodes have to clear infected and inflamed tissue, and this doesn’t happen overnight. If your lymph nodes remain diseased, your doctor may consider other diagnosis and treatment options.
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