A teenager had painless, movable cervical lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and low-grade fever with night sweats. a) Discuss the differential diagnosis. b) Enlist the investiga... A teenager had painless, movable cervical lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and low-grade fever with night sweats. a) Discuss the differential diagnosis. b) Enlist the investigations. c) Describe the various abnormal cells found in the lesion. d) How is the staging of the disease done?
Understand the Problem
The question provides a clinical scenario involving a teenager with specific symptoms and asks for differential diagnoses, investigations, descriptions of abnormal cells, and staging of the disease, indicating a need for a detailed medical analysis.
Answer
Lymphoma vs infections; CBC, biopsy, imaging; Reed-Sternberg; Ann Arbor staging.
a) The differential diagnosis includes Hodgkin lymphoma, infectious mononucleosis, tuberculosis, and leukemia. b) Investigations include CBC, lymph node biopsy, serology, and imaging. c) Abnormal cells may include Reed-Sternberg cells (Hodgkin lymphoma) or atypical lymphocytes (infections). d) Staging for lymphoma is done using the Ann Arbor system.
Answer for screen readers
a) The differential diagnosis includes Hodgkin lymphoma, infectious mononucleosis, tuberculosis, and leukemia. b) Investigations include CBC, lymph node biopsy, serology, and imaging. c) Abnormal cells may include Reed-Sternberg cells (Hodgkin lymphoma) or atypical lymphocytes (infections). d) Staging for lymphoma is done using the Ann Arbor system.
More Information
Reed-Sternberg cells are indicative of Hodgkin lymphoma, and the Ann Arbor staging is crucial for treatment planning.
Tips
Avoid misdiagnosing atypical lymphocytes as Reed-Sternberg cells; ensure comprehensive investigation panel.
Sources
- An approach to cervical lymphadenopathy in children - PMC - NCBI - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Lymphadenopathy Clinical Presentation: History, Physical, Causes - emedicine.medscape.com
- EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND REFERRAL OF LYMPHOMA IS CRITICAL - leukaemia.org.nz
