PALPABLE LYMPH-NODES OF THE NECK IN SWEDISH SCHOOLCHILDREN

We studied 3592 Swedish schoolchildren, 8 or 9 years old, examined for palpable submandibular, cervical and supraclavicular lymph nodes. Ail children were skin tested with 2 TU PPD RT23 and with 0.1 mu g of Myc obacterium avium sensitin or 0.1 mu g of M. scrofulaceum sensitin. A t otal of 991 children had palpable lymph nodes in any of the three loca tions. Among them, 811 had lymph nodes in one location, 162 in two loc ations and 18 in three. In 312 children, the lymph nodes were greater than or equal to 5 mm in size in any location. The most common locatio n was submandibular. Boys had a significantly higher prevalence of pal pable lymph nodes than girls. There was also seasonal variation. Child ren infected by atypical mycobacteria (sensitin reaction greater than or equal to 6 mm) did not have a higher prevalence of palpable lymph n odes than those not infected.