L04: Acute lymphadenitis

L04.1: Acute lymphadenitis of trunk

The lymph nodes are small bean-shaped objects. They are found throughout the body. Lymph nodes filter the tissue fluid. They are part of the defense system. Our lymph nodes contain certain immune cells. The immune cells can identify and attack pathogens or changed body cells, for example.

A lymph node gets inflamed when, for example, the body has been infected by pathogens. If immune cells in the lymph node work harder than usual due to an inflammation, the affected lymph nodes swell up.

Lymph nodes in the trunk area are swollen. Applying pressure on the affected site is usually painful. The affected site may also appear red. Pus may also have collected there.

The trunk includes the chest, back, abdomen, and pelvis. Various bones support the trunk. These are the spine, the ribs and the pelvic bones, for example. Most organs are in the trunk. These include the heart, the lungs and the kidneys, for example.