title: Prevalence of lymphadenopathy of the head and neck in infants and children.
abstract: This study demonstrates the widespread prevalence of "normal" adenopathy in children; i.e., not associated with infectious adenitis or serious system illness. The knowledge of this distribution is helpful in determining when adenopathy may be pathologic. Occipital and postauricular adenopathy is a common nonspecific finding in infancy; but, over the age of 2 years, it is sufficiently rare that it can be a useful diagnostic finding. Cervical and submandibular nodes are rare in infants under 12 months but are common in older children. Supraclavicular nodes are probably pathologic at any age.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000150:complications; D005334:Fever / Q000150:complications; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009333:Neck; D010173:Palpation