Study of Mesenteric lymphadenopathy in Children in a Tertiary Care Institute of Northern India

Aim of this study was to evaluate and analyse the incidence of enlarged mesenteric nodes with ultrasound in pediatric patients. Clinical profiles of patients were evaluated and various causes of mesenteric lymphadenopathy were studied.

A total of 100 children attending pediatric and pediatric surgery departments at Rama Medical College hospital and research centre from Oct 2014 to Dec 2016 presenting with various ailments and clinically suspected of having enlarged mesenteric nodes were included in this prospective observational study. The presence of enlarged nodes, their location, size and other ultrasonographic findings were recorded. The clinical profile and causes of these cases were correlated and evaluated.

On the basis of this study, it was observed that pain abdomen was the common complaint in 66% of cases followed by respiratory tract infection in 32% cases. It was also found that 12% of cases presented as acute abdomen. In other cases diarrhoea 28%, urinary tract infection 15%, worm infestations 12%, enteric fever 5%, gastritis 5% were the causes of mesenteric lymphadenopathy. The other finding of the study detected that the incidence of enlarged lymph nodes increases with age with the peak incidence is at around 8 years range (6–11) years and decrease thereafter

The significance of mesenteric lymphadenopathy lies in differentiating acute abdomen from other conditions, since correct diagnosis can avoid unnecessary surgical intervention. Mesenteric lymphadenopathy is a self limiting entity, usually viral in origin. Hence surgical intervention can be avoided if diagnosis is accurately made.