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Lymph Node Biopsy

(continued)

Risks

There is a chance of an infection at the biopsy site. An infection can be treated with antibiotics.

Call your doctor immediately if:

Your pain lasts longer than a week.
You have redness, a lot of swelling, bleeding, or pus from the biopsy site.
You have a fever.
There is fluid buildup in the area where the lymph node was taken out. This occurs most often when removing the lymph nodes that run in a line from under the arm to the collarbone (axillary lymph nodes). This can happen immediately after surgery or even months or years later. Most people who have a lymph node biopsy do not have a problem with fluid buildup.
Numbness in the skin near the biopsy site. This may be caused by nerve damage.

Results

A lymph node biopsy removes lymph node tissue to be looked at under a microscope for signs of infection or a disease, such as cancer. Test results from a lymph node biopsy are usually available within a few days. Finding some types of infections may take longer.

The lymph node sample is usually treated with special dyes (stains) that color the cells and make problems more visible.

**Lymph node biopsy**
Normal:	The lymph node has normal numbers of lymph node cells.
	The structure of the lymph node and the appearance of the cells in it are normal.
	No signs of infection are present.
Abnormal:	Signs of infection, such as mononucleosis (mono) or tuberculosis (TB), may be present.
Abnormal:	Cancer cells may be present. Cancer may begin in the lymph node, such as Hodgkin's lymphoma, or may have spread from other sites, such as in metastatic breast cancer.

What Affects the Test

A needle biopsy takes tissue from a small area, so there is a chance that a cancer may be missed.

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WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: March 29, 2011

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.