title: Management of chronic cervical lymphadenopathy in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is important how to evaluate chronic cervical lymphadenopathies and when to perform excisional biopsy in children. We tried to analyze the usefulness of clinical and ultrasonographic findings in order to differentiate malign lymphadenopathies from benign ones.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 100 children who had cervical lymphadenopathies, larger than 1. 5 cm for 4 weeks duration at least. Children were between 2 and 14 years old, the mean age was 6.88±3.38 years. They were examined by clinical symptoms and ultrasonographic appearances. Persistent lymphadenopathies were evaluated by excisional biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cervical lymhadenopathies of 80 children with well clinical symptoms decreased and resolved within 10 weeks durations. Their ultrasonographic findings revealed regular margins, ovoid shapes and getting smaller than 1. 5 cm. The remaining 20 children persisting longer than 10 weeks at the same size, with worrisome clinical symptoms and susceptible ultrasonographic findings (round shapes, irregular margins) underwent excisional biopsy. According to the biopsy results, five had tubercular lymphadenopathies, three had Hodgkin'slenfoma, two had acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic cervical lymphadenopathies can persist up to 10 weeks, althoughthey are reactive and benign.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey - zehraesraonal@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Zehra E
authors.initials: ZE
authors.lastname: Önal
authors.affiliation: Department of, Radiology, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Soydan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burcu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karadaş
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tamay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gürbüz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Çağatay
authors.initials: Ç
authors.lastname: Nuhoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of, Radiology, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Simsek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D000072281:Lymphadenopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods