Question for dr. about swollen lymph node

[TCN]

I am a 40yr. old female.  I have had multiple health issues since my pregancies. I have had multiple surgeries on my heart, and I have alot of spinal hardware due to a burst fracture in the spine last year.  I have had several infections, mono 2x in the past, and mrsa in my pacemaker which had to be removed and relocated.  Ok, that's  my brief history.

Since the beginning of July I began feeling unwell, daily fevers ranging from 99.5 in am to 101 by afternoon.  Alot of sweating, sometimes at night requiring me to change my clothes, but during the day also.  My drs. suspected infection in either my pacer or spinal hardware.  I have been on 3 courses of antibiotics.  I had noticed over the summer lymph node enlargement, but assumed it was because I was unwell.  About 3 wks ago I felt my neck again and the lymph node was still swollen and MUCH larger. It is painless.  It is right under the end of my jaw.  When I saw my ENT last week, he said it was not supposed to be there, and that I needed a CTwith contrast and a biopsy asap.  I asked how he treats lymph nodes that were abnormal and he said he wasn't sure it was a lymph node, that it could be my parotid gland.  

Please tell me what you think.  If it is the parotid what are the odds of it being malignant, and what about lymphoma.  I guess I am wondering if this is most likely a malignant mass or benign?  Statistically what are my chances of this being malignant?
Thank you so much!

[Dennis MD]

Hi.
How are you doing?
I agree with your doctor.  The lump you are palpating near the end of your jaw could be an enlarged lymph node or an enlarged parotid gland.  You had several bouts of infection previously.  I am more inclined to think that the lump is an enlarged lymph node secondary to your previous bouts of infection.  However, a parotid tumor should be ruled-out, as well as lymphoma.  It will be hard to differentiate these disease entities without the aid of diagnostic tests.  
You may need to undergo CT scan of the head and neck region.  A biopsy of the lump is also helpful.
Take care.

[TCN]

I am embarrassed.  I must have said something that made you or anyone else  that read my post not want to respond.  I am sorry, maybe all of the past information made it confusing.  If you could just see it as a mass that was there over the summer and grew significantly  since, on the right side, just below the level of the jaw line, it may  look like the mumps.  Sorry!  Everyone is noticing it, so it is hard not to worry.