Hello,

Thanks for your query.

A knot on the side of the neck of a six year old can be due to multiple reasons.Children have so many infections in the first years - usually upper respiratory tract infections - that their neck glands can seem swollen a lot of the time. Once your child gets over the infection, the glands become smaller and less tender.

I would like to know some more details on your problem to be specific in my opinion , like:

1)Is there any redness of the skin over the lymph gland (node)?
2)Is the node/ swelling seems to be attached to the skin overlying it - usually, you can feel the lymph node under the skin but it doesn't feel attached to the skin so it is easy to move under your fingers?
3)Is the size of bump/node is larger than a cherry or small plum (about 2-3cm in diameter) and is not getting any smaller over 3 months ? Lymph nodes that are less than 1 cm in diameter are usually not a problem, even if they stay for longer than 3 months.
4)Are there any swollen glands in the area behind the collar bones (clavicles)- we call this the supra-clavicular region?
5) Is there any associated weight loss?

Your answers will help me to suggest a better opinion with regards to your problem.

Anticipating your response

Regards.

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Hello,

Thanks for writing back.

The additional information that you have given shows that she is running a fever which is more suggestive of an infection more likely in the throat. Such infections are common in the child hood period and once you give her treatment for the infection and her fever subsides, the lymph node will also regress in 7-10 days on its own. You need not worry about the node for now.

You can just mention it to her pediatrician when you see him for treatment of the fever as her throat needs to be examined.

Hope I have answered your query. I will be available if you have any further queries.
Wish you an early recovery.

Regards

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