The acute lymphadenitis (inflamation of lymph nodes) is characterized by bacterial invasion from injured skin or mucosal or from other pahological site e.g spreading of microbes from boil or athlete s foot (tinea pedis)area by lymphatic vessels to the respective lymph nodes. The acute lymphadenitis will progress to chronic lymphadenitis if treatment is inadequate or if the immune resistance of the body is low.
   Clinical manifestations of acute lymphadenitis: regional swelling, redness and pain, along with increase of body temperature, headache and other general signs; if inflammation has spread around lymph nodes, a few lymph nodes may form cohesion among them, it may also develop to abcess; proper treatment will cure it but sometimes may also leave a small harden nodule.
   The clinical presentations of chronic lymphadenitis are enlargement or hardening of lymph nodes with slight pain which usually healed by it own, intensed pain during tiredness or low immune resistance and sometimes it may transform into acute lymphadenitis.
   The main factor of lymphadenitis occurence is infection of Staphylococcus and hemolytic Streptococcus. The main principles of treatment are curing of main pathological region and early anti-inflammation treatment. If abcess if formed in acute lymphadenitis, insicion for drainage is needed.
   In traditional chinese medicine (TCM), acute lymphadenitis in neck region is similar to jing yong (neck sore); if it is in armpit or axilla region, it is ye yong (axillary sore); if it is in inguinal region, it is kua fu yong (inguinal sore). The chronic lymphadenitis is categorized as ji he (spinal nodules). The cause of yong is external warm wind or literally means warm air, it then combines with inflammation and formed nodules in route of shao yang and yang ming ; or it is due to bad substances and heat from liver and stomach become inflammation which accumulated in nodules; or in the lower extremities, its Yin area is infected and bad substances travel along the route and transformed into kua fu yong ; or due to blockade of moist heat to lower region; it may also due to spreading of infection from frostbite, cracked heel, athlete s foot, eczema and others that block the route and resulted in stagnant of blood and Qi (energy). The main principles of treatment are eliminating heat and bad substances , resolves inflammation and swelling, symptomatic therapy according to different area and stages of disease.


[Clinical treatment result] There were 985 acute cases--all recovered, average treatment duration about 10 days. While there were 1563 of chronic cases with 1 case cessated treatment half-way, others recovered completely, average treatment duration was about 60 days.