Clinico-pathological profile of pediatric lymphadenopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinico-pathological profile of significant pediatric peripheral lymphadenopathy and to arrrive at an etiological diagnosis.


METHODS
Prospective study in a tertiary care hospital setting. One hundred consecutive children reporting to pediatric OPD from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1998, aged 1 month to 12 years were studied.


RESULTS
The commonest aetiology diagnosed was tubercular lymphadenitis in 35% cases, followed by chronic tonsillopharyngitis in 15% cases. Lymphomas, AIDS and infectious mononucleosis constituted 3, 2 and 1 cases each. Aetiology could not be ascertained in 44 (44%) children even after detailed haematological, microbiological, radiological and serological investigations. FNAC's sensitivity and specificity as compared to 'gold standard of excision lymph node biopsy was 94% and 100% respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Tubercular lymphadenitis was the commonest treatable entity of significant pediatric peripheral lymphadenopathy. A majority of the cases even after thorough evaluation, remained undiagnosed. FNAC as a diagnostic modality is almost as sensitive and as specific as excision lymph node biopsy when an adequate aspirate is examined by expert eyes.
Reddy
M Pradeep
MP
Command Hospital, Udhampur (J&K) and Military Hospital, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India. mettupradeepreddy@hotmail.com
Moorchung
Nekhil
N
Chaudhary
Arun
A
D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000473:pathology