What it means
Hundreds of lymph nodes sit along the lymph vessels, in groups in the neck, armpits, groin, chest and belly. They trap germs and cancer cells carried in the lymph and hold white blood cells that fight them. During an infection, nearby nodes often swell and feel tender, as in "swollen glands" in the neck with a sore throat. Cancer can spread through lymph nodes, so they are often checked or removed in cancer surgery.
For the nurse
Feel for nodes during assessment and note the size, tenderness and whether they move. A node that is hard, painless, fixed in place or lasting for weeks is reported. After lymph nodes are removed from an armpit, no blood pressures, blood draws or IVs on that arm, if facility policy says so.
At a glance
| Everyday words | gland, swollen glands |
|---|---|
| Spanish | ganglio linfático |
| Also written | lymph nodes, lymph gland, lymph glands |
Related terms
infectious disease
An illness caused by a germ such as a bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite.
immune system
The body's defense system of cells, tissues and organs that fights germs and other foreign substances.