Generalised Lymphadenopathy

CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL

Generalised lymphadenopathy refers to the enlargement of multiple groups of lymph nodes in different regions of the body.

This clinical finding can be indicative of a wide range of pathologies, from infections to malignancies and systemic diseases. A thorough evaluation, including medical history, physical examination, and additional tests, is crucial to determine the underlying cause and provide appropriate treatment.

Pathology	Symptoms and Clinical Signs	Suspected Diagnosis	Confirmatory Diagnosis
Infectious mononucleosis	Fever, pharyngitis, splenomegaly, cervical lymphadenopathy. Fatigue, general malaise.	Medical history and physical examination. Heterophile antibody test, serology for EBV.	Confirmation with positive serology for EBV.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma	Firm, non-tender lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, pruritus. Weight loss.	Medical history and physical examination. Lymph node biopsy.	Confirmation with histopathological analysis of lymph node biopsy.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma	Firm, non-tender lymph nodes, B symptoms (fever, night sweats, weight loss). Fatigue.	Medical history and physical examination. Lymph node biopsy.	Confirmation with histopathological analysis of lymph node biopsy.
Chronic myeloid leukaemia	Splenomegaly, anaemia, fatigue, easy bleeding. Lymphadenopathy.	Medical history and physical examination. Complete blood count, cytogenetic analysis (BCR-ABL).	Confirmation with positive cytogenetic analysis for BCR-ABL.
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia	Lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, anaemia, recurrent infections. Fatigue.	Medical history and physical examination. Complete blood count, flow cytometry immunophenotyping.	Confirmation with immunophenotyping and bone marrow analysis.
Acute myeloid leukaemia	Fatigue, fever, bleeding, recurrent infections. Pallor, petechiae.	Medical history and physical examination. Complete blood count, peripheral blood smear.	Confirmation with bone marrow biopsy and cytogenetic analysis.
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia	Fatigue, fever, infections, bone pain. Lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly.	Medical history and physical examination. Complete blood count, peripheral blood smear.	Confirmation with bone marrow biopsy and cytogenetic analysis.
Sarcoidosis	Cough, dyspnoea, erythema nodosum, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. Fatigue, fever.	Medical history and physical examination. Chest X-ray, elevated ACE levels.	Confirmation with lung biopsy and histopathological analysis.
Medication side effect	Allergic reaction, fever, rash. Generalised lymphadenopathy.	Medical history and physical examination. Review of medications used.	Confirmation upon discontinuation of the medication and observation of symptom resolution.