Can tuberculosis cause enlarged lymph nodes?

Question

Hello doctor,

I brought my 1-year-old son who is 22 Ibs and 33 inches to the doctor due to what I thought was a hernia in his groin. He also has an enlarged lymph node in his neck. However, the doctor said that it was not a hernia. The blood test showed elevated liver enzymes and borderline low platelets. He has been acting like his usual self. The doctor sent me to a hospital for a CAT (computed axial tomography) scan. But, the hospital decided to first take a blood sample again to check for the virus but the tests were negative. We are scheduled to see a gastroenterologist in the coming days. What could this be? Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

An enlarged lymph node points to an infection in the body, which can be tuberculosis or any other chronic illness. FNAC (fine needle aspiration cytology) of the lymph node will tell about the size of the lymph node, whether they are matted or not, the presence of any necrosis, which is crucial for making the diagnosis and what is his serum ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate)? Tuberculosis is uncommon but, is still a possibility. FNAC is important to rule out this.

Thank you.