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Radiologists disagree on nodes being normal or reactive on US

A year ago I had several lymph nodes on my posterial cervical and spinal accessory chain swell up to the size of peas or baked beans. Larger ones were seen on ultrasound anywhere from 1.2 cm to 2.6 cm. Every ultrasound agrees they do not have worrisome features but some say they are normal nodes while others claim they are just reactive. I’m a little unsettled there’s disagreement here, to me it just shows how these tests really don’t accomplish much yet doctors treating them as certainty. Also what would be seen in ultrasound to make the radiologist believe they are reactive when others did not? All this time later they are still enlarged.
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1081992 tn?1389903637
COMMUNITY LEADER
A reactive node is normal, it's doing it's normal job and is not diseased. But a reactive node with fibrosis might or might not be called abnormal. To add to the confusion, a reactive node usually comes under the heading of lymphadenopathy, though it's not a pathology.

Do you find out about the biopsy?
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Not yet, however I’m curious about the reactive notes, it was only one of the four radiologists who thought nodes looked reactive (different offices have done the scans) do they look for size alone as an indicator or other factors you mentioned? (I guess it is a possibility I just happened to genuinely have my system fighting something at that time but seems too coincidental) I guess what I’m asking is if the radiologists not all agreeing on the cause means I should be concerned or if you would trust their knowledge and opinions enough to feel safe ruling out anything malignant? After all if they are reactive wouldn’t they have gone down? Why aren’t they tender (they never were) ? Etc

One other thing of note. I’ve often read about matted nodes and on the back right side of my neck I can feel two little tiny bumps that are connected. They move freely although together, aren’t hard just rubbery like the others etc, and I’ve had those for years. I remember having those back in high school several years ago with no change. I’ve pointed them out to docs and ENT’s who’ve said they do feel matted but not of concern and I made sure the US seen them too. I guess from what I’ve read matted is always concerning (although since I’ve had those for so very long I really am not worried just more curious to learn)
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