Table 2.
Investigations into the cause of lymphadenopathy carried out prior to lymph node biopsy (patients referred from primary care)
| Number of patients | Adults | Children | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cervical | Axillary | Groin | All sites | |
| Chest X-ray | 77 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
| Ultrasound examination | 21 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
| CT scan | 27 | 6 | 8 | – |
| MRI scan | 1 | – | – | – |
| Other X-rays/scansa | 9 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| Other investigationsb | 10 | 2 | 6 | – |
| Blood tests | 48 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| Fine needle aspiration | 21 | – | 1 | 2 |
a
Cervical nodes – mammography 2, contrast swallow 1, contrast enema 1, sinus X-ray 1, bone scan 1, sialogram 1, venography 1, carotid angiography 1. Axillary nodes – mammography 6, X-ray lumbar spine 1, X-ray shoulder 1. Groin nodes – abdominal X-ray 1, arteriography 1. Children – OPG 1.
b
Cervical nodes – bone marrow aspiration 4, OGD 2, Heaf test 2, punch biopsy 1, spirometry 1. Axillary nodes – bone marrow aspiration 2. Groin nodes – bone marrow aspiration 3, core biopsy 1, flexible oesophagogastroduodenoscopy 1, colonoscopy 1.