Which department should I visit for enlarged cervical lymph nodes?
Disease description:
During a routine health check-up, I was found to have enlarged cervical lymph nodes. I would like to seek treatment at the hospital—what department should I visit?
Enlarged cervical lymph nodes may indicate different underlying conditions depending on associated symptoms:
- If accompanied by sneezing, nasal congestion, or rhinorrhea, it may be caused by an acute upper respiratory tract infection, and the patient should consult a pulmonologist.
- If the patient presents with weight loss, fatigue, firm cervical lymph nodes with indistinct borders and poor mobility, a neoplastic cause is possible; referral to an oncologist or hematologist is recommended.
- If associated with fever, arthralgia, or malar rash, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be suspected, and consultation with a rheumatologist or immunologist is appropriate.