Etiology of lymphadenopathy in childhood

Abstract

Aim To establish etiology and level of prevalence of lymphadenopathy in children. Methods: One hundred and fifteen children aged 0-15 years with diagnosed lymphadenopathy at the Pediatric Clinic in Sarajevo during 2008 were included in the study. It analyzed age, sex, etiology and distribution and prevalence of lymphadenopathy.Results There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0,05) according to gender and age of children with lymphadenopathy. Leading etiological causes of lymphadenopathy were infections in 95%(62,7 %) and malignancies in 20 (13,3 %) cases. The most frequent isolated microorganisms were viruses in 65 children (65 %) and bacteria in 26 (28%) of children. Most frequent causes of malignant lymphadenopathy were acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 11 children (55 %) and acute myeloid leukemia in two (10%) children. Regional lymphadenopathy was more frequent than generalized lymphadenopathy,in 103 children (68,7%) and 47 (31,3 %) children, respectively. Most frequent localizations of regional lymphadenopathy were neck, axillae and groin, in 83, 8, and 5 (80,5 %, 7,8%, 4,8%) children. Conclusion The regional and generalized lymphadenopathies in children depend on their etiology and have significant prognostic value for the disease.

Keywords

• lymphadenopathy
• etiology
• children