A reader asks: Please help.
I am male, 45 years old. My job is working in an office on a computer. About 5 years ago, I began having pain in my right upper thigh and checked it with a general practices doctor.
The doctor noticed that my both right and left thigh inguinal area lymph nodes were visually enlarged. You could feel them when touching my thigh.
The doctor said that swollen lymph nodes may occur because of a cut or infection in the lower part of my legs, but I had not had any such problem.
I had an ultrasound and the sizes were measured at 23mm x 15mm.
The doctor provided me with painkillers for maybe 3-4 days. The pain went but the lymph nodes remained enlarged. The doctor told me it may be normal.
Over the last 5 years sometimes I have had pains but I do not taken any painkillers. The pain is normally tolerable.
Last week I felt pain on the same right upper thigh and noticed my right thigh had swelled. I checked with a general practice doctor and was advised to wait for 3-4 days to see if it went away naturally. But it didn’t, so I had a blood test to check for full blood count, blood sugar, cholesterol, liver and thyroid, which came back normal.
Next I had an Ultrasound on both inguinal areas and upper thighs done. The reports shows as below:
The skin and subcutaneous tissue on both inguinal areas is normal, no thickening, no edema, no hernia sac, no SOL, no muscle edema, no sinus, no fistula, no collection. Underlying muscle fibers are normal, no disruption of the fatty Plaines.
Both upper thigh lymph nodes were enlarged. The largest one is the right node, measuring 23mm x 15mm in size and the left thigh 13mm x 6mm.
The inguinal nodes were also enlarged. The largest one is the right inguinal node measuring 13mm X 7mm. The left inguinal is measuring 10mm x 4mm. Both proximal thigh vessels are normal.
My question is: I did not take any painkillers or other medicine. Now the swelling is there but the pain of comes sometimes and is tolerable. Do I have to visit to specialist and what type of specialist? Please advise how to overcome my problem.
Dr Anees Fatima MD, DABFM, Family Medicine Specialist at Mediclinic City Hospital writes:It appears that you have multiple lymph node swellings in both inguinal regions. The duration of the swelling is of concern.
I suggest you see an Internal Medicine or Family Medicine Consultant to evaluate you thoroughly.
These things need to be looked for: Other systemic symptoms like weight loss, fever, fatigue etc Other areas in the body where lymph nodes may be enlarged Any changes in the blood tests – noted that above are normal as you said The US report that you have provided is incomplete – it will need to be repeated to give more information on the type of enlargement, and characteristics of the lymph node, etc Depending on above, and more history or examination findings you may need a biopsy of the lymph nodes involved to come at a final diagnosis.
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