title: [Enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes in children: a clinical analysis with ultrasonography and the implications].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes in healthy children with those children with mesenteric lymphadenitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  According to the diagnostic criteria defining lymph node enlargement as a 5-mm enlargement or greater in the short diameter, 137 healthy children and 148 children with mesenteric lymphadenitis were retrospectively analyzed for mesenteric lymph node enlargement based on the ultrasonographic data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution of enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes was detected in the right lower quadrant (RLQ) in 46.3%, in the para-aortic areas in 19.2%, and in the left lower quadrant (LLQ) in 13.6% of the children. The clusters of lymph nodes between the two groups showed no significant difference in the distribution, age, L/W, longitudinal diameter or clusters, only the short diameter differed significantly between them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes are present in many healthy children, which does not necessarily suggests any abnormalities. The mesenteric lymph nodes increase with the age until 6 years and then decrease. The lymph nodes with a short diameter larger than 8 mm may indicate the condition of mesenteric lymphadenitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China. wangwengang3107@126.com
authors.forename: Wen-gang
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: WANG
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: TIAN
authors.forename: Ji-ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: YAN
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: LI
authors.forename: Tong-di
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: ZHANG
authors.forename: Ya-pei
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: ZHAO
authors.forename: Li-yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: ZHANG
authors.forename: Heng-guo
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: XING
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008640:Mesenteric Lymphadenitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D008643:Mesentery; D012189:Retrospective Studies