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Submandibular lymphadenitis.
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
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Submandibular lymphadenitis can develop in both adults and children. It is important to understand that this disease is rarely primary. What does this mean? This means that the cause of lymphadenitis is an inflammatory process in some other organ and only then the infection spreads to the lymph nodes.
In general, there are several hundred lymph nodes in the human body, which are part of the body's protective immune system. But most often, it is the nodes located in the head and neck area that become inflamed. These are the submandibular, cervical or occipital lymph nodes.
ICD-10 code
Over the centuries of existence and development of modern medicine, doctors and scientists have repeatedly tried to create a description and classification of various diseases. The first such attempt, which entered the annals of history, belonged to Sauvage, who lived in the sixteenth century.
Nowadays, such a classification of diseases is created by WHO and is called ICD or International Classification of Diseases. This classification also includes submandibular lymphadenitis.
At present, ICD is used by many countries of the world. This normative document provides a description and rules for the treatment of various diseases. As new scientific data in the field of medicine and pharmacology arrives, this document is revised by WHO and improved.
Causes of submandibular lymphadenitis
Although in most cases submandibular lymphadenitis is a secondary disease, there are cases when this disease develops separately. Then the cause of submandibular lymphadenitis is an injury to the node itself with the penetration of pathogenic microflora into it.
As a rule, there are two pathogenic bacteria that most often cause submandibular lymphadenitis. These are streptococci and staphylococci. How do bacteria get into the lymph node? It is clear that with direct trauma to the node, they are carried there through damaged skin.
But if there was no injury, these bacteria can get into the node through the lymph. The foci of bacterial development can be in the teeth and gums. Diseases such as caries, gingivitis or periodontitis are foci of infection from which bacteria can get into the lymph nodes through the lymph flow and cause their inflammation.
Another cause of submandibular lymphadenitis is chronic diseases of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx and tonsils. For example, chronic tonsillitis can cause submandibular lymphadenitis. Another cause of lymphadenitis can be chronic sinusitis. That is why lymphadenitis is called a secondary disease. Of course, such a disease should be treated in combination with the primary source of infection.
In addition to streptococci and staphylococci, submandibular lymphadenitis can be caused by other pathogens. For example, the tuberculosis pathogen Koch's bacillus can also cause concomitant lesions of the nodes. Another possible pathogen is the bacterium that causes syphilis.
Symptoms of submandibular lymphadenitis
As a rule, submandibular lymphadenitis can be diagnosed quite easily by its symptoms. When an infection gets into the node, it becomes inflamed, which is accompanied by pain, redness of the skin in the area of the node. The skin may also become hot, because the local body temperature rises.
In some cases, the lymph node greatly increases in size. This occurs due to tissue edema or due to the accumulation of pus in the node itself and in the tissues around it. After all, there are two types of submandibular lymphadenitis: non-purulent and purulent.
In addition to pain and other symptoms of submandibular lymphadenitis, it can be detected by a general blood test. The level of leukocytes in the blood with this disease increases sharply.
Local increase in temperature, i.e. hot skin in the area of the node, can be accompanied by a general deterioration in health and an increase in the temperature of the whole body. In acute processes and suppuration, the body temperature can increase sharply and strongly.
The patient may experience weakness, chills and show signs of general intoxication, namely pale skin, lethargy, and lack of appetite.
Acute submandibular lymphadenitis
There are two types of submandibular lymphadenitis – acute and chronic. In the first case of the disease, it always occurs in an acute form, but if the patient is not given adequate treatment, the disease can become chronic.
In acute submandibular lymphadenitis, only one or several nodes may become inflamed at once. Although the acute course of the disease may also occur with a non-purulent form of lymphadenitis, it is most often caused by suppuration.
In this case, pus can collect in the node and fluctuate. This means that the pus "overflows" and "fluctuates" in the node, which can lead to a breakthrough and further infection of the tissues. In addition, in the acute course of the disease, the infection can affect not only the node itself, but also other tissues around it, they swell, turn red and hurt.
Acute lymphadenitis can prevent full use of the part of the body where the node is located. With submandibular lymphadenitis, the neck and jaw can hurt. Pain can also occur when opening or closing the mouth.
Chronic submandibular lymphadenitis
Chronic submandibular lymphadenitis may occur as a result of improper treatment of the acute form of this disease. While in the acute form the lymph node swells, increases in size and the skin around it turns red, in the chronic form the nodes may harden.
Also, in the chronic form, the infection and inflammation can spread from the node itself to the tissues around it. The patient experiences the same symptoms as in the acute form of the disease. Both the body temperature and the skin temperature around the nodes rise. The skin turns red. The person feels very unwell, chills and lethargy.
If lymphadenitis becomes chronic, a more radical method of treatment may be needed – removal of the node. While acute lymphadenitis can be treated by removing pus from the node and using antibiotic therapy.
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Submandibular lymphadenitis in children
Submandibular lymphadenitis in children is as common as in adults. Infection can enter the nodes through the lymph from various foci of inflammation. This can be an infection of the teeth and gums, chronic infections in the nasopharynx, and so on.
It should be noted that lymphadenitis cannot develop in children in the first years of life, because the lymph nodes are formed during the first three years of life.
If this disease is not treated in a timely manner, then surgical intervention and even removal of the inflamed node may be required. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor in time, because inflammation of some nodes is more difficult to notice on your own. Many parents do not even suspect the existence of lymph nodes in the occipital part of the head. Although submandibular lymphadenitis in children is quite easy to diagnose.
The child may complain of pain in the neck or under the jaw. The parent can palpate the nodes. If they are healthy, this will not cause any painful sensations for the child. In addition, healthy nodes will be soft and mobile to the touch.
Where does it hurt?
Diagnosis of submandibular lymphadenitis
There are several methods for diagnosing submandibular lymphadenitis. Firstly, the doctor can make a diagnosis, so to speak, "by eye". After all, this disease has clearly expressed symptoms. When inflamed, the nodes hurt and increase in size.
The skin over and around the node may become red and feel significantly warmer than the patient's other skin. In addition, the overall body temperature may rise significantly and be difficult to bring down.
If pus has accumulated in the node, the node greatly increases in size, the skin around it turns red and even purple. Pus can be felt through the texture of the skin and node. It fluctuates or "overflows" there.
In addition to visual, symptomatic and palpation diagnostic methods, there are also clinical methods. For example, a doctor may prescribe a general blood test for a patient. With submandibular lymphadenitis, the level of leukocytes in the blood will be significantly elevated.
Ultrasound is another diagnostic method for submandibular lymphadenitis. Using ultrasound, it is possible to accurately determine whether there is pus inside the node. In addition, the doctor may prescribe a puncture to take fluid from the node for bacteriological analysis. This analysis will help determine which bacteria caused the inflammation and which antibiotic these bacteria are most sensitive to.
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Treatment of submandibular lymphadenitis
There are two main ways to treat submandibular lymphadenitis. Unfortunately, the main method of treatment is surgical intervention. It comes in different types. If pus has accumulated in the node during an acute course of the disease, the doctor makes an incision and releases the pus.
This way, spontaneous rupture of the node and infection of the tissues around it can be avoided. If the rupture is uncontrolled, sepsis may occur.
Therefore, the node is opened and the pus is removed from it. This relieves inflammation and speeds up the recovery process. The second method of treatment is antibiotics. These drugs are often prescribed as concomitant treatment during surgery.
There are also folk remedies for treating submandibular lymphadenitis. And in some cases, physiotherapy, electrophoresis, etc. are used. But these treatment methods are most often used after removing pus from the node surgically.
Antibiotic treatment
Not every antibiotic is suitable for treating submandibular lymphadenitis. Most often, this disease is caused by pathogens such as streptococci or staphylococci. Therefore, antibiotics of the penicillin group are used for treatment.
In most cases, the drug must be administered through injections and the course duration should not be less than seven days. This course is enough to completely destroy the infection in the lymph nodes.
At the same time, it is very important to understand before treatment how effective a particular drug will be in fighting bacteria. For this purpose, the doctor may prescribe a puncture. The collected fluid is cultured for the presence of pathogens and tested to see which antibiotic kills bacteria most effectively.
Treatment of submandibular lymphadenitis in children
When treating submandibular lymphadenitis in children, it is very important to first identify the primary source of infection. This may be chronic inflammatory processes in the mucous membranes of the throat or nasopharynx. Or it may be caries or gum inflammation.
It is very important to cure and eliminate the primary infection. As a rule, submandibular lymphadenitis is closely related to the oral cavity and nasopharynx. Therefore, when treating it, it is important to carefully maintain the cleanliness of the teeth, mouth and throat. The mouth and throat can be rinsed and teeth brushed regularly.
Purulent lymphadenitis definitely needs to be treated with antibiotics. Sometimes it may be necessary to open the node to remove the pus from it. The doctor can install drainage so that pus does not accumulate in the node further, does not cause severe pain and does not spread the inflammation to the tissues around the lymph node.
In some cases, the doctor may prescribe compresses or lotions for the skin around the node. But in no case should they be done without a doctor's prescription. In particular, it is necessary to avoid heating the node area before making a diagnosis. Heating increases the rate of bacterial growth and can only increase the child's pain.
Treatment with folk remedies
It is important to understand that it is impossible to treat purulent submandibular lymphadenitis with folk remedies. This can only waste time and from an acute infection, it will turn into a chronic form. Therefore, it is better to use folk remedies as an additional therapy or in the early stages of the disease.
As a rule, folk medicine uses medicinal herbs. They can be taken internally in the form of tinctures or teas, or you can make poultices from them. When treating submandibular lymphadenitis, you can use such a natural "antibiotic" as echinacea.
It needs to be made into an alcohol tincture. But you can't apply a compress of pure or undiluted tincture to the skin. Before use, one part of the tincture needs to be diluted with two parts of water. You can't use hot water, so as not to overheat the inflamed node. Take warm water.
The compress is applied for the whole night. The diluted tincture is applied to cotton wool and fixed with a bandage. The same tincture, only not diluted, can be taken internally. This can be done three times a day and drink no more than 40 drops at a time.
Another folk remedy for treating submandibular lymphadenitis is onions. They have long been famous for their bactericidal properties. They can be used for compresses. In addition to onions, you need to stock up on tar from the pharmacy.
The onion is baked whole (with the skin) in the oven. The oven needs to bake for about 20 minutes. The skin is removed and the onion is mashed. A tablespoon of tar is added. The mixture should be warm, but not hot. A compress from this mixture is applied to the inflamed node and left overnight.
Blueberries are a good natural immune stimulant. These berries are rich in vitamins and useful microelements that are so necessary for the body during illness. You can make a strong fruit drink from blueberries and drink this beverage several times during the day. Just remember that blueberries have a laxative effect, so you shouldn’t eat too much of them.
More information of the treatment
Prevention of submandibular lymphadenitis
Basically, submandibular lymphadenitis is reduced to the prevention of chronic infections in the body. Since lymphadenitis is a secondary disease, any inflammatory process can be its cause. Especially if such inflammation is caused by streptococci or staphylococci, to which the lymph nodes are very susceptible.
It is important to understand that the primary infection itself may not cause acute pain or discomfort. For example, it may be caries, which does not cause acute toothache. Or chronic rhinitis, which does not cause fever or other pronounced symptoms.
With the flow of lymph, infection from other organs can migrate to the lymph nodes and cause acute inflammatory processes there. To prevent submandibular lymphadenitis, you need to treat your teeth in a timely manner, maintain oral hygiene, and visit the dentist in a timely manner for a preventive examination.
The same is true for ENT organs. You need to visit an otolaryngologist several times a year for a preventive examination and not neglect acute or chronic diseases of the nasopharynx.
Prognosis of submandibular lymphadenitis
There are several undesirable complications of submandibular lymphadenitis. If this disease is not treated, the prognosis can be disappointing. The acute form can become chronic, in which the nodes harden and may require their complete surgical removal.
Non-purulent lymphadenitis can develop into a purulent form. Then antibiotic treatment will be needed and it may be necessary to open the node to remove the pus.
If lymphadenitis is not treated promptly, the pus can break out and infect other tissues around the node. Rapid spread of infection in the body can lead to blood poisoning, general sepsis and death of the patient.
The consequences of submandibular lymphadenitis can be unpredictable, because pus can go from these nodes in almost any direction. They are close to the brain, and the infection can even get there.
Therefore, it is very important to consult a doctor in time if you notice enlarged lymph nodes or pain in the area of the nodes in yourself or your child. In addition, it is necessary to treat wounds, calluses and eliminate other constant sources of infection in the body in time, because it can migrate to the lymph nodes from any organ or area of the body.