Lymph nodes are considered to be the fortresses that aid immune defense. Lymphadenopathy is the enlargement of one or more lymph nodes as a result of normal reactive effects or a pathologic occurrence.
Essentially, the following 5 broad etiologic categories lead to lymph node enlargement:
- An immune response to infective agents (e.g., bacteria, virus, fungus)
- Inflammatory cells in infections involving the lymph node
- Infiltration of neoplastic cells carried to the node by lymphatic or blood circulation (metastasis)
- Localized neoplastic proliferation of lymphocytes or macrophages (e.g., leukaemia, lymphoma)
- Infiltration of macrophages filled with metabolite deposits (e.g., storage disorders).
Cervical lymphadenopathy is a completely curable condition, and if it is due to tuberculosis it can be completely cured by taking AKT.
Cervical lymphadenopathy is caused by a number of reasons and HIV is one among them. However, HIV infection presents as generalised lymphadenopathy and not as cervical lymphadenopathy.