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About Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D.
Expertise
Questions concerning Cancer, Oncology, radiation Therapy, Tumours, Chemotherapy, Cytotoxic Drugs, Hormonal Therapy, Radiation Protection.

Experience
I'm a Doctor of Medicine. Licensed/certified physician and surgeon and specialist in Medical Oncology and Radiation therapy in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and the European Union. Background in Radiation Therapy, Medical Oncology, Radiation Protection, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gynecological Oncology, Clinical Pathology, Clinical Cytology,Hematology and Internal Medicine. M.D. from the faculty of medicine, Royal Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Have also been an exchange student at the Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem Israel. Former medical consultant, Swedish National Board of Radiation Protection. Former Police Surgeon and Medical Examiner, Stockholm Police Department. Former Chief Medical Officer, The Royal Guards, The Royal Horse Guards and the Royal Household Brigade, Royal Swedish Army Medical Corps. Now in private practice in Stockholm, Sweden. I also answer questions in these other categories: General History, Military History, Brain Tumors, Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer

You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Medical Specialists > Oncology (General Cancer) > swollen lymph node

Oncology (General Cancer) - swollen lymph node

Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 11/5/2009

Question
QUESTION: ok let me first start at the beginning. in July i had a horrible tooth infection. the pain eventually went away, though i have not gotten the tooth fixed. shortly after that i notice a couple swollen lymph nodes. have since went down, but are not completely gone. i then noticed i had a canker sore which also caused a swollen node that has also gone down. now i have just gotten over a 4 week battle with bronchitis/cold. the lymph nodes on my neck have gone down a little but are still there. they feel like a normal node should feel when swollen. the one i am worried about is under my jaw. it has been there i believe since my tooth was infected. it always feels bigger and harder in the morning time, then as the day goes on it feels less swollen. i have no symptoms such as nigh sweats/loss of appetite/weight loss/fatigue. i have a wisdom tooth on the same side as the node that is turned sideways and trying to come in, but it can't because its sideways so you can see part of the tooth. it doesn't really feel very moveable maybe because of where it is at? but then it doesn't feel hard, well at times i should say. there are times when i think it feels very hard and times when i think it doesn't. could this by lymphoma? wouldn't the node be growing by now? i do think it has decreased in size maybe a little. but still feels huge to me. you can't tell its swollen unless you press your finger on it. you can't see it though. i am terrified

ANSWER: You have had a number of infections and those inflammations fully explain the presence of swollen lymph nodes. In case you want to be even more sure you can DEMAND a fine/thin needle aspiration biopsy of the lymph node that worries you! Good luck!

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QUESTION: thank you so much for responding so quickly. so is it normal that it feels bigger and harder in the morning? also, one more thing if you don't mind i am wondering if this is because of where it is but to me it doesn't seem moveable. is this normal? i have no symptoms, and it isn't growing any its been 4 months

ANSWER: That it feels bigger & harder in the morning is probably due to other causes which have nothing to do with the lesion itself (the condition of the surrounding tissues). It probably should be movable but on the other hand if it is not growing at all it is less probable that it is dangerous. If needle biopsies are not available a surgical biopsy can also be done.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok, one more thing and once again thanks for your reply so quickly. so the fact that it isn't growing is a good thing? and also i think since i found it that it has gone down in size. thats good as well correct? also one more thing if you dont mind. if you have lymphoma in a lymph node and then other node swell due to aninfection/virus would they go down? or would they stay swollen as well? and with lymphoma are the lymph nodes huge? wouldn't they just keep growing? also my wisdom tooth is turned sideways but is protruding through my gum trying to come in could this cause it as well. and i have heard that if a node swells over and over it may feel firmer and not as movable from scarring? thank you so much

Answer
Well if a lymph node goes down in size it is a good sign. I think that instead of continued speculation with regards to this node, make sure that you have a biopsy done. If no lymphoma is found you can forget that idea completely. I think it is best that a biopsy is done since otherwise you will just continue to worry, right? Any continued irritation from wisdom teeth etc. will just keep the inflammation going. Which is a good reason why you should also ask your dentist to take care of it soonest!

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