Swollen lymph nodes Lymphadenopathy is an enlargement of the lymph nodes (sometimes called glands), usually due to an infection or to the proliferation of white blood cells within the lymph nodes.
A single node, a group of nodes, or sometimes all the lymph nodes may be affected. Swelling of a single node or group of nodes is often due to a localized bacterial infection.
For example, swollen lymph nodes in the neck are commonly due to a throat infection, and they usually subside when the infection clears up.
Swollen nodes that are due to infection are often painful. Persistent swelling of many or all of the lymph nodes may be the result of some types of cancer, such as breast cancer, leukemia, or lymphoma (lymphatic system cancer).
Swollen nodes due to cancer are not normally painful. Persistent lymph node enlargement may also be caused by long-term infections, such as tuberculosis or HIV infection