ABSTRACT
Lymphadenopathy is a common medical problem. A lymph node biopsy may be necessary for definitive diagnosis in selected cases. The study group included a retrospective, hospital-based series of patients who had a cervical lymph node biopsy at the Saudi Aramco Medical Services organization between 1997 and 2008. During the study period, there were a total of 452 cervical lymph node biopsies. Biopsies were performed on 122 [27%] children 60 years. The most common histopathological diagnosis was reactive disease [52.2%, n = 236], which was followed by granulomatous disease [15.5%, n = 70]. We detected carcinoma in 14.6% of the patients [n = 66], Hodgkin's lymphoma in 8.8% [n = 40] and non-Hodgkin's disease in 8.8% [n = 40]. Malignancy was more common in adults than children [19.5% vs. 1.6%, respectively and reactive disease was more common in children than adults [65.3% vs. 47.3%, respectively]. Metastatic disease was more likely in the older age group [17.7% vs. 0%], Hodgkin's disease was found in 12.5% of the adolescents, and non-Hodgkin's disease was present in 10.3% of the adults and elderly. The most common histopathological findings for cervical lymph node biopsies in eastern Saudi Arabia were reactive disease and granulomatous disease