When Are Neck Swelling Dangerous?

Ear Nose and Throat Diseases Specialist Assoc. Dr. Yavuz Selim Yıldırım gave important information about the subject. Assoc. Dr. Yavuz Selim Yıldırım said that the most important point about neck swelling starts with noticing the swelling. In a healthy adult and child, any swelling on the neck that can be noticed from the outside or palpable when touched is not seen or noticed. The swellings on the neck may not be benign, it may be possible for some malignant diseases to progress and spread when it is late. It is very difficult to distinguish whether the swelling in the neck is good or bad is important.

Painful unilateral or bilateral swellings under the chin, in front of the ears, behind the ears and on the sides of the neck, which usually appear suddenly, have occurred due to infections, swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, that is, inflammation. We always check if there is any focus of infection on the scalp, tooth area, or inside the mouth. If the swelling in the neck occurs after infection and is painful, it may indicate that this swelling is benign, but other examinations are required.

In doubtful cases, neck ultrasound blood analysis and, if necessary, medicated films may be necessary. If there are signs that this swelling is malignant in the ultrasound findings, a piece of this swelling is taken with a needle under ultrasound guidance and subjected to pathological examination. However, ultrasound findings and blood tests show that these swellings are infected and If it suggests that it is due to inflammation, it may be sufficient to follow up with medical treatment.

Whether the swelling on the neck of the patient is unilateral or bilateral, whether it is painful or not, the swelling grows and increases over time guides us. Especially in young children, recurrent swellings in the middle of the neck may be due to congenital residues. They are not usually malignant and can be treated with surgery if recurrent infections occur very frequently. Bilateral or unilateral swellings in the young and middle age group are mostly due to inflammation and can disappear completely with an appropriate medical treatment.

Neck swellings that occur later in elderly patients should definitely be examined in more detail. For example, swellings that start with hoarseness and then appear on the neck should definitely be examined in detail. Again, in case of unintentional weight loss and increasing swelling in the neck, detailed examinations should be performed.

When should we worry?

Unilateral or bilateral neck swelling accompanied by night sweats, involuntary weight loss, hoarseness, bloody vomiting, cough, difficulty in swallowing, shortness of breath, neck pain and bad breath should be examined in detail. Among the bad diseases that can cause swelling in the neck area are laryngeal cancer, thyroid cancer, salivary gland cancers, as well as malignant diseases in the mouth area, it can give symptoms with swelling in the neck.

Assoc. Dr. Yavuz Selim Yıldırım stated that since the neck region is very rich in lymph circulation, congenital or acquired malignant diseases of the lymph nodes, such as lymphoma, may give the first symptom with swelling.

In a patient who comes with neck swelling, we first take a good history, then examine the neck with a camera, that is, endoscopy, and check the neck with our hands. If there is a suspicious situation after the necessary blood and ultrasound examinations, we conduct further examination. These include medicated tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. examination, PET scan involving the whole body. In some cases, a diagnosis is made and appropriate treatment is started as a result of removing the lymph node from the neck and sending it for pathological examination or taking a piece with ultrasound guidance and subjecting it to examination.

Assoc. Dr. Yavuz Selim Yıldırım, “As a result, in case of swelling in the neck that can be noticed externally in children or adults, with or without pain, a doctor should definitely be visited, and the cause of this swelling should be determined by the physician and treated appropriately, the best result will be achieved for the patient.” he stated.