Lymphadenitis:
- Lymphadenitis is inflammation of lymph node. Lymph nodes can also get enlarged through infiltration of neoplastic cells.
- Enlarged peripheral lymph nodes causes visible and palpable swellings and in some cases obstruction to lymphatic drainage and subsequent local edema.
- Enlargement of internal nodes may cause obstruction of the esophagus or pharynx, trachea or bronchi.
- Lymphadenitis occurs as a result of infection or of neoplastic invasion.
Etiology:
- Corneybacterium pseudotuberculosis causes ulcerative lymphangitis in horse and caseous lymphadenitis in sheep.
- Bacillus anthracis also causes lymphadenitis
- Strangles in horse
- Cervical adenitis caused by Streptococcus, Actinomyces pyogenes and Pasteurella multicoda
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium bovis
- Tularemia, infection with Francisella tularensis, in tick-infested sheep
- Tick pyemia associated with Staphylococcus aureus in sheep infested with the tick Ixodes ricinus.
Clinical Findings:
- Swollen lymph nodes are hot and painful in initial stage, most nodes are painless.
- Respiratory difficulty, in case of enlargement of retropharyngeal lymph node
- Oesophageal obstruction in case of enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes
- In case of abscess formation, abscess are thick and non-odorous.
- On drainage, soft and past-like abscess gets discharged from wound.
Diagnosis:
- On basis of physical examination of superficial lymph nodes
- On basis of clinical findings
- Needle biopsy of affected lymph node
- Cytological examination of cells of lymph nodes
Treatment:
- Treatment should be aimed at removing primary causes.
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics should be administered after culture of suspected organism and antibiotic sensitivity test
- In case of abscess formation, abscess should be drained completely and wound should be lavaged with dilute povidone iodine solution
- Topical antibiotics in form of cream are applied topically in incision site to promote healing of wounds
- Supportive care should be given to animals
- NASID should be administered for relieving pain in animals.