What Causes Swollen Lymph Nodes Along With Enlarged Spleen?
Question: Our daughter in a marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. She has been in the hospital a week. We have only been able to talk to her Dr once and although we are authorized to receive her medical information, due to distance/time, we are not getting information - we are located in XXXXXXX This is what we know:
- her lymphnodes are enlarged
-her spleen is enlarged and "half of it is dead"
-her liver is enlarged
-she has had lots of blood taken, so far tests are showing "negative"
-they are now sending cultures to the States
We were originally told that there are 3 options on the table:
1) Bacterial infection has caused her lymphnodes and spleen to enlarge
2) Viral infection
3) Lymphoma or Leukemia
Can you please give us a clearer view of what they MAY be looking for and what causes there could be? (She has not been injured)
- her lymphnodes are enlarged
-her spleen is enlarged and "half of it is dead"
-her liver is enlarged
-she has had lots of blood taken, so far tests are showing "negative"
-they are now sending cultures to the States
We were originally told that there are 3 options on the table:
1) Bacterial infection has caused her lymphnodes and spleen to enlarge
2) Viral infection
3) Lymphoma or Leukemia
Can you please give us a clearer view of what they MAY be looking for and what causes there could be? (She has not been injured)
Brief Answer:
What are her symptoms?
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Greetings from Dr.Divakara.P
I need to know what were her symptoms before she was tested for?
Yes, the probable diagnosis given are correct. Here examination finding correlate with Infection or Leukemia ( blood cancer). Among these, infection is easily treatable but leukemia , though has good medications to treat but there is no 100% guarantee that it will be cured and it may come back.
To differentiate between infection and leukemia i need to know what are her symptoms? Is her age 21 now? Please confirm the same and also try to get investigation reports.
Kindly revert with details asked.
What are her symptoms?
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Greetings from Dr.Divakara.P
I need to know what were her symptoms before she was tested for?
Yes, the probable diagnosis given are correct. Here examination finding correlate with Infection or Leukemia ( blood cancer). Among these, infection is easily treatable but leukemia , though has good medications to treat but there is no 100% guarantee that it will be cured and it may come back.
To differentiate between infection and leukemia i need to know what are her symptoms? Is her age 21 now? Please confirm the same and also try to get investigation reports.
Kindly revert with details asked.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
She has always been very healthy and strong. This came on very suddenly as "stomach pain" and nausea. She went to the ER there are base 3 times and was sent home with diagnosis of "Gastroenteritis" and Advil. The pain became so intense that finally, they admitted her and found that her lymph nodes, spleen and liver were/are all enlarged and her white blood count showed that while the number was in range, the cells themselves were/are enlarged. Over the weekend she began vomiting and yesterday they got that stopped. As of last night (Tuesday day in Japan), the Doctor told her that her spleen is 50% necrotic and that the blood results showed "no infection". Apparently they are sending her by ambulance to a civilian hospital on the island to put a scope down her throat to look at her heart??? We are desperately trying to find funding to get there, but until we can actually get there, we just need more information.I forgot to say that she is currently 21, non smoker, non drinker. No health problems at all. I also forgot to tell you that they are sending "cultures" to the States but we don't know WHAT cultures or for WHAT reason. To explain about her pain, XXXXXXX broke her arm in two places when she was 15. She simply walked into the house and said, "Hey Dad, I think there's something wrong with my arm". She NEVER complains, she is never "sickly" and she has an EXTREMELY high tolerance for pain. Wait - I just thought of something - she rarely has periods and has worried about infertility but has not done any kind of testing, etc. Can't imagine that has anything to do with this, but it is a "health issue" so thought I should list it. Also - there is are no family genetic indicators for what is going on (that we know of).
Brief Answer:
Unlikely to be Infection.
Detailed Answer:
HI
Thanks for the details .
In your history there has not been any mention of Fever and the white counts were in normal range. This along with necrosis of Spleen make the possibility of Infection very unlikely. I have not heard of any infection causing Necrosis of spleen . But still your doctors are sending cultures just to be 100% sure that it is not infection. I agree with them because Infection is always a better thing to have than Leukemia or Cancer.
Once Infection is ruled out ( after culture report comes ) she has to be evaluated for other possible causes of her problem , especially Lymphoma or Leukemia. Both are a form of Cancer , though there is good treatment for that.
For the diagnosis of these two conditions they have to do a test called Bone Marrow Biopsy and biopsy of either spleen or any of the lymph nodes.
Hope this information was useful to you.
Do revert back to me when you get any of the biopsy reports or heart scan report.
Regards.
Unlikely to be Infection.
Detailed Answer:
HI
Thanks for the details .
In your history there has not been any mention of Fever and the white counts were in normal range. This along with necrosis of Spleen make the possibility of Infection very unlikely. I have not heard of any infection causing Necrosis of spleen . But still your doctors are sending cultures just to be 100% sure that it is not infection. I agree with them because Infection is always a better thing to have than Leukemia or Cancer.
Once Infection is ruled out ( after culture report comes ) she has to be evaluated for other possible causes of her problem , especially Lymphoma or Leukemia. Both are a form of Cancer , though there is good treatment for that.
For the diagnosis of these two conditions they have to do a test called Bone Marrow Biopsy and biopsy of either spleen or any of the lymph nodes.
Hope this information was useful to you.
Do revert back to me when you get any of the biopsy reports or heart scan report.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello,
Thank you for giving us some insight. Best Regards, XXXXXXX
Thank you for giving us some insight. Best Regards, XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Welcome
Detailed Answer:
HI XXXXXXX
You are welcome .
Do revert back when you get the scan reports.
Regards
Welcome
Detailed Answer:
HI XXXXXXX
You are welcome .
Do revert back when you get the scan reports.
Regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar