The predictive value of epidemiological characteristics, clinical and laboratory findings in adult lymphadenopathy etiology

S. Akinci, K. Silay, T. Hacibekiroglu, A. Ulas, A. Basturk, S.M. Bakanay, M.B. Akinci, A. Yikilmaz, I. Dilek

Department of Hematology, Ankara Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. sbakinci@hotmail.com

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• Hematology

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine the presence or absence of malignant etiology in the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory results of patients undergoing lymph node biopsies.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was carried out between January 2013 and April 2014. We enrolled a total of 150 adult patients who had lymph node biopsies. 73 of these were females (48.7%) and 77 were males (51.3%). The epidemiological characteristics, clinical and laboratory findings were evaluated and compared with the pathological results.

RESULTS: Leukopenia (p=0.05) thrombocytopenia (p=0.03) and increased lactate dehydrogenase levels (p=0.01) were found to be associated with the malignancy. In the cervical, submandibular, axillary and inguinal areas lymphadenopathy was generally seem to be benign while the rate of malignancy was higher in the intra-abdominal and supraclavicular regions. In those cases who had a lymph node index of below 2 there was a higher rate of malignancy (p=0.04). In cases which lymphadenopathy accompanied by splenomegaly has been found associated with malignancy (p=0.009). No association with regards to malignancy was found with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and hepatomegaly.

CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of the study five variables including cytopenia, lactate dehydrogenase levels, splenomegaly, lymph node index below 2, intra-abdominal and supraclavicular lymphadenopathy were concluded to be the most suitable means of predicting malignant etiology.

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