inguinal lymphadenitis

Inguinal lymphadenitis is a disease characterized by inflammation of the lymph nodes in the groin area. There are many reasons for its occurrence, but infectious diseases (especially those transmitted sexually) remain dominant among them.

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Causes inguinal lymphadenitis

There are many reasons for the occurrence of inguinal lymphadenitis, in any case, they are all associated with some primary infection, which is accompanied by inflammation. The most common are fungal, bacterial and viral infections. Less common are parasitic and chlamydial infections. These can be sexually transmitted infections, lower limb infections, lymphomas, oncological diseases in the pelvic area, inflammatory diseases of the genitals, suppuration of boils, trophic ulcers, abscesses of the lower limbs, but most often the cause is infections of the internal and external genital organs (for example, syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, toxoplasmosis). Both one and several lymph nodes can be affected. Sometimes inguinal lymphadenitis appears as a result of taking certain medications. A separate category of causes of inguinal lymphadenitis includes oncological malignant and benign diseases of the pelvic organs; they can also cause inflammatory processes in the lymph nodes.

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Symptoms inguinal lymphadenitis

The function of the lymphatic system is to delay and destroy all kinds of infectious factors that can get into the lymph nodes with the lymph flow and also with the blood flow, therefore, when an infection gets into a lymph node, it can become irritated and inflamed, which causes lymphadenitis. Inguinal lymphadenitis is one of the types of inflammation of the lymph nodes. The appearance of lymphadenitis indicates the appearance of some disease of infectious or non-infectious etiology. Also, an increase in the lymph nodes of the groin area may indicate the presence of malignant processes in the pelvis or abdominal cavity. By their anatomical nature, the lymph nodes that are in the groin area facilitate the flow and outflow of lymphatic fluid to the buttocks, lower abdominal wall, anal canal, lower limbs, genitals of women and men. Therefore, the appearance of lymphadenitis in most cases indicates the development of diseases of the above parts and organs of our body.

Lymphadenitis of the inguinal lymph nodes

In the groin area, there are 3 groups of lymph nodes:

1. Upper group. It carries lymph from the lower part of the abdominal wall and buttocks.
2. Medial (middle) group. It drains lymph from the anus, external genitalia, and perineum. This group is affected most often.
3. Lower group. Responsible for the outflow of lymph from the lower extremities.

Inguinal lymphadenitis is divided into two types:

1. Primary. It is extremely rare and develops as a result of direct penetration of a pathogenic microorganism into the lymph node directly through skin lesions and damage to the mucous membranes.
2. Secondary. Occurs in most cases of inguinal lymphadenitis. Its presence indicates the occurrence of an inflammatory disease in another part of the body. Very often, this type of lymphadenitis may indicate the presence of sexually transmitted diseases.

Regarding the form of the disease, simple catarrhal lymphadenitis is distinguished, which occurs without necrotic and purulent processes, and purulent lymphadenitis, which is characterized by increased intense inflammation of the lymph node, partial necrosis of its tissues and the subsequent appearance of an abscess (suppuration). This condition threatens with a delay in the outflow of lymph, overstretching and dilation of the lymphatic vessels, edema of the pelvic organs and lower extremities.

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Symptoms of inguinal lymphadenitis

The main and dominant symptoms of inguinal lymphadenitis are enlarged lymph nodes, their soreness upon palpation and at rest. Pain and discomfort in the lower abdomen during physical activity and walking may also be noted. Concomitant symptoms may include fever, general malaise, and chills. Symptoms of more complex forms of lymphadenitis are characterized by redness and swelling of the skin at the site of the lymph node. This symptom may indicate a purulent process in the lymph node, which must be treated immediately, since the absence of treatment can lead to rupture of the lymph node with subsequent penetration of pus into the intermuscular space, necrosis (death) of the lymph node and surrounding tissues may also occur, or the disease may spread to the lymphatic system of the entire body. However, one should also not ignore the fact that malignant tumors of the pelvic organs can metastasize to the inguinal lymph nodes and thereby cause their soreness and enlargement. In this case, it is necessary to resort to additional diagnostic methods.

If any of the above symptoms appear, even the most minor ones, you must definitely consult a doctor, since inguinal lymphadenitis and its complications can lead to a critical condition of the entire body.

Acute inguinal lymphadenitis

Acute inguinal lymphadenitis is characterized by an acute inflammatory process in the lymph node. The cause may be any infection present in the body (e.g. staphylococcal). For example, the presence of a purulent wound on the leg can provoke the infection to enter the lymph node through the lymph. Also, acute lymphadenitis can occur against the background of advanced chronic inguinal lymphadenitis, which did not respond to treatment. The main symptoms of acute lymphadenitis are sharply painful enlarged lymph nodes, reddening of the skin in the area of the lymph node, general malaise, and elevated body temperature. If left untreated, the node begins to fester, an abscess appears, which, when ruptured, turns into phlegmon and, accordingly, tissue necrosis (death) appears. Sometimes acute purulent lymphadenitis can spread to several lymph nodes at the same time, so such conditions require emergency medical care, since there is a risk of blood poisoning.

Inguinal lymphadenitis in women

In women, inguinal lymphadenitis can mainly appear due to a number of reasons specific to women, such as: cystic formations of the internal genital organs, various infectious and fungal diseases, malignant formations in the pelvic organs. Lymphadenitis in women proceeds in the same way as in men, with the same symptoms. The only difference between inguinal lymphadenitis in women and men is its root cause, especially the close relationship between diseases of the genital organs and diseases of the inguinal lymph nodes. It is worth noting that inguinal lymphadenitis in women can develop into lymphogranulomatosis, which has more serious consequences. Therefore, timely diagnosis and treatment can prevent the female body from this serious condition.

Inguinal lymphadenitis in men

Inguinal lymphadenitis in men often occurs due to metastasis of malignant tumors of the internal and external genital organs directly into the lymph node itself, as well as due to the presence of venereal and infectious diseases. The course and symptoms of the disease in men are the same as in women. If the cause of inguinal lymphadenitis in men is metastasis of malignant tumors, then it is necessary to immediately resort to conservative or surgical methods of therapy, since metastasis of tumors to the lymph nodes tends to spread at high speed and metastases can affect a whole group of both inguinal lymph nodes and internal pelvic lymph nodes.

Inguinal lymphadenitis in children

Inguinal lymphadenitis in children occurs much less frequently than in adults, due to the fact that children are not so susceptible to infection with sexually transmitted diseases and there are practically no cases of oncological diseases of the genitals among children. It is also worth paying attention to the age of the child - if it is a teenager, then a consultation with a venereologist is mandatory, but if it is a newborn or a very small child, then the cause may be intrauterine infection, immune problems, congenital disorders of lymph outflow. Very often, the cause of inguinal lymphadenitis in children are infectious diseases that occur due to injuries and microtraumas of surrounding tissues and genitals, maceration of the skin in newborns, etc. Timely diagnosis and treatment of lymphadenitis in children is very important, since the development of the disease can be fatal for the child and subsequently lead to a lot of concomitant diseases.

Diagnostics inguinal lymphadenitis

Normally, in a healthy person, the inguinal lymph nodes are not palpable, do not protrude above the skin level, do not cause pain or discomfort. First of all, to diagnose inguinal lymphadenitis, an external examination of the groin and lymph nodes is carried out, pronounced symptoms of lymphadenitis are established and further diagnostic methods are prescribed in the form of laboratory or instrumental research methods. Normally, it is necessary to do a general and biochemical blood test to determine the typical causative agent of the disease. In some more severe cases of the disease, a biopsy of the lymph node is performed in order to conduct a histological analysis to detect any pathologically altered cells. This analysis is necessary to confirm the presence or absence of malignant metastases from other organs in the lymph node. In order for the diagnosis to be as accurate as possible, it is necessary to consult several medical specialists in different fields at the same time. This will allow a more thorough examination of each system of the body and, in general, come to a single conclusion that will indicate the root cause of the disease and help accurately diagnose inguinal lymphadenitis.

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Treatment inguinal lymphadenitis

Treatment methods for inguinal lymphadenitis are selected based on the underlying cause and stage of the disease. At the initial stages, the patient should ensure a calm lifestyle and avoid hypothermia. Regarding physiotherapy methods, electrophoresis, galvanization and ultrasound treatment are used for inguinal lymphadenitis. When the disease becomes more complex, intensive antibiotic therapy is primarily used to eliminate the inflammatory process, and the patient is additionally prescribed immunostimulating and general stimulating drugs. If inguinal lymphadenitis becomes purulent, then surgical treatment is necessary, which consists of opening and draining the abscess with further continuation of conservative therapy. If, after a biopsy of the lymph node, signs of metastases of malignant tumors were detected, then the treatment will be aimed at using chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In the most critical situations, when necrosis of the lymph nodes is diagnosed, it is necessary to remove them surgically. This method is not used very often because complications such as abnormal lymph drainage may develop. Treatment of inguinal lymphadenitis with folk methods is not an effective treatment method, since it can only be used for primary manifestations of the disease and only as a method of additional supportive therapy. It is also important to note that warming up inflamed lymph nodes is strictly prohibited because it leads to stagnation of lymph, disrupts the outflow of lymphatic fluid and threatens the development of a purulent process.

Prevention

To prevent the development and complications of such a disease as inguinal lymphadenitis, it is necessary first of all to get rid of the source of infection in the body that can cause this disease, since by its nature, lymphadenitis in most cases manifests itself as a secondary disease that has some underlying cause. These can be infectious and fungal diseases of the genitourinary system, oncological diseases, skin injuries. It is necessary to be careful with microtraumas and skin damage, treat them with antiseptic solutions (hydrogen peroxide, iodine, brilliant green) to prevent purulent and septic complications. If the purulent process is already present, then it must be urgently eliminated before it becomes complicated and affects the circulatory and lymphatic systems. Also, if necessary, if there is a weakening of the immune system, you can use general tonic and immune-strengthening drugs.

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Forecast

The prognosis for inguinal lymphadenitis is usually favorable. If the correct diagnosis was made and timely treatment was started, then positive results of recovery should be expected. Otherwise, in the absence of treatment, a generalized infection may occur and there is a risk of necrosis of the lymph node, which threatens its further removal with subsequent disruption of lymph flow.

Treating inguinal lymphadenitis on your own is very dangerous, as it can lead to serious complications. Therefore, timely contact with a specialist and taking the necessary treatment measures is the key to successful recovery.

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