Ask a doctor on the topic of General medicine

Lymph nodes neck

November 6, 2016 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

I discovered a small lump in my neck last night. I think it must be a lymph node. It's on the right side of my neck at the top of my hairline. When I felt it, I immediately remembered noticing the exact same thing years ago. The size hasn't changed, it's about the size of an uncooked lentil, maybe 5mm at most. So very small. At what size are lymph nodes concerning? Is it bad if one hasn't changed in years and just stays the same?
I've also had a chronically enlarged tonsil on the same side for years, and a tooth on the same side has caused problems for a long time. Could it be related? I'm so scared now that I might have lymphoma. I don't feel anything else in my neck or anywhere else. Is the size concerning? I read that this size is normal for a lymph node.

Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Good day,

If you have had inflammation (such as in the tonsils or tooth), a lymph node can sometimes remain enlarged because it has been scarred by the inflammation. A single, small lymph node has nothing to do with cancer. In lymph node cancer, entire groups of lymph nodes swell in various areas, such as the groin, neck, and armpits.

Your lymph node is completely normal. Just forget about it.

Sincerely, Dr. Höllering