SWELLING IN THE NECK-III (METASTATIC)

Another common type of swelling in the neck in clinical practice is the lymph node swelling due to metastasis. In a patient of malignancy (commonly known as cancer) a time comes when the disease does not remain localised but spreads by lymphatics to the regional lymph node. This lymph node is called metastatic lymph node. The main charecteristic feature of this swelling is that it is painless and very hard to touch. Pain appears very late in terminal illness or when the swelling gets infected. To confirm the diagnosis, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has to be done. The areas from where neck lymph node can be involved are nose, nasopharynx, para nasal sinuses, throat and pharynx.