Lymph node biopsy? what should one expect when results of a lymph node biopsy are "abnormal"?

An : An "abnormal" result may or may not be serious. A serious result is one that is a malignant diagnosis, i.e. Cancer. The cancer may be a "primary" in the lymph node system, i.e. Malignant lymphoma, or a metastatic tumor that has spread from a cancer originating in a distant site such as lung or gastrointestinal tract. If malignant lymphoma is the diagnosis, additional malignant lymph node tissue may have to be obtained for additional tests to determine the exact cell of origin so that appropriate therapy can be planned. If when the original lymph node biopsy was performed, the processing laboratory saved some of the biopsied tissue for these tests, additional surgery may not be necessary. If the abnormal result is tumor that has spread to the lymph node from a distant site, additional testing will have to be performed to determine the site of the cancer's origin and whether the offending cancer site is amenable to surgical removal. An "abnormal" result that is not serious is generally one in which the lymph node is said to show signs of "reactive" activity to a systemic viral disease or shows signs of an infection limited to the node itself or an infection in a distant or regional organ, e.g. Tuberculosis in the lung may spread to a lymph node in the neck, showing signs of infection there. This is an important sign for the need of anti-tuberculous antibiotic therapy. There may also be signs of an infection that cannot be treated with antibiotics, and additional enlarged lymph nodes are presumed to have the same infection and require surgical removal.

Expect more.: Biopsy results will not be "abnormal." they will be quite specific as to the abnormailty if any is found. Diagnosis and treatment will be based upon biopsy results so there is no room for generic "abnormal.".