Axillary LymphadenopathyUpdated

CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL

Axillary lymphadenopathy refers to the enlargement of lymph nodes in the axillary region. It can be a manifestation of various conditions, ranging from benign infections to malignant neoplasms.

The evaluation of axillary lymphadenopathy requires a complete clinical history and a detailed physical examination, complemented by imaging studies and laboratory tests to determine the underlying cause.

Pathology	Clinical Symptoms and Signs	Suspicion Diagnosis	Confirmation Diagnosis
Reactive due to infections	Fever, localized pain, signs of systemic infection. Painful, mobile lymph nodes, erythema, and local warmth.	Clinical history and physical examination. Specific serologies for infections.	Confirmation with positive serologies and/or cultures.
Infiltrative due to tumours	May be asymptomatic, symptoms related to the primary tumour (weight loss, fatigue). Firm, painless, fixed lymph nodes.	Clinical history and physical examination. Imaging (CT, MRI).	Confirmation with biopsy and histopathological analysis.
Reticulosis	Fatigue, fever, night sweats, weight loss. Enlarged, firm, painless, often generalized lymph nodes.	Clinical history and physical examination. Complete blood count and imaging tests.	Confirmation with biopsy and histopathological analysis.
Secondary to the effect of medications	May be asymptomatic or accompanied by other side effects of the medication. Enlarged, generally painless lymph nodes.	Clinical history and physical examination. Review of medications used.	Resolution after discontinuation of the causative medication.