Infection

• Viral, eg, infectious mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus), hepatitis, herpes simplex virus, varicella, rubella, acute HIV infection or AIDS
• Bacterial, eg, streptococci, staphylococci, cat-scratch disease, tuberculosis, syphilis, tularemia, chancroid, plague, leprosy
• Fungal, eg, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis
• Chlamydial, eg, lymphogranuloma venereum
• Parasitic, eg, toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis, filariasis
• Rickettsial, eg, scrub typhus

Malignancy

• Hodgkin’s or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Leukemia
• Metastatic cancer
• Virchow’s (left supraclavicular) node: gastrointestinal (classically gastric) cancer
• Sister Mary Joseph (umbilical) node: gastrointestinal cancer
• Right subclavian node: lung cancer

Immunologic disease

• Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, Sjögren’s syndrome
• Drug hypersensitivity
• Serum sickness

Other

• Sarcoidosis
• Amyloidosis
• Lipid storage disease, eg, Gaucher, Niemann-Pick
• Hyperthyroidism
• Castleman’s disease (giant lymph node hyperplasia)
• Dermatopathic lymphadenitis
• Kikuchi’s disease (histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis)
• Kawasaki disease
• Eosinophilic granuloma (Langerhans cell histiocytosis, histiocytosis X)
• Familial Mediterranean fever
• Drug-induced pseudolymphoma (classically phenytoin)

• Cervical lymphadenopathy
• Splenomegaly
• Fever of unknown origin

Reference

• Modified from Engstrom JW, Bradford DS, in A Fauci et al (eds): Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1998.