Swollen Gland in Groin

[needadvice1911]

In late early July 2013 i was diagnosed with Epididymitis.  I te4sted negative for major bacterial causes.  The doctor suspects a viral infection of some sort.  I was told to wait it out.  I went to walk in clinic three weeks later as i began getting a pain in my goin on the right side.  It seemed to stick out a little more than the left.  The doctor said it could be hernia or a swollen lymph node which would make more sense with a genital infection present.  He sent me for an ultrasound to confirm the lump.  It was  confirmed a swollen lymph node:  "mildly enlarged right goin lymph node corresponding to the area of tenderness with mostly benign features likely reactive and of questionable significance."  it measure 19.3mm x 11.1mm x 5.7mm.  My issue is that it is a month past that that diagnosis.  I can't tell if the lump is any bigger, but i do know the pain has not gone away and slightly increased.  Pain spreads to my upper right thiigh, right buttock, right lower back and kidney area.  In early july i had my annual physical and my blood work came back clean.  nothing unusual our outstanding.  My concern is lymphoma.  Can anyone please comment.  I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow to review the pain i have in my groin and thigh.

[Ken_PA]

Hi, because of your scan, you can feel confident that you don't have lymphoma.

You can look up how internal scarring (fibrosis) can make nodes not go back down. You probably don;t have a chronic or recurrent infection. One other possibility is having granulomas in the node - maybe that's thee least likely, though.

If you complain about bad pain there that would tend to increase your chances of getting it surgically removed.

[needadvice1911]

I hope all is well.  Sadly, I just found out my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Its been a bad week for us.  Doing all the scans to see if there is any progression.  Glad I did a PSA test a few weeks ago.  Doc said it was OK but now more than ever I want the results.  Never knew this before i asked for the workup.  I know its silly to ask, but can my prostate be causing the issues/feelings i'm having?  The enlarged node, intermittent pain through my hip, thigh, and flank?  my original ultrasound did say my prostate was at the upper limit of normal size.  I guess I'm just grasping for answers now.  After finding cancer in your family, you don't want to leave any stone un turned.

[Jellybean1986]

I don't have any advice. I just want to say that I also have a lot of anxiety surrounding lymph nodes and my current medical issue. I have been dismissed by one doctor only to be told by a second doctor that he knew exactly what was wrong a few times in my life (gallbladder, cysts, precancer which was resolved and a prolapse that 3 GYNs missed)

Because my blood pressure is causing me to be home from work for awhile I have been trying not to "google" things and figure it out. It's easy to get really worked up.

I hope you get your answer to the bulge and pain soon!!

[needadvice1911]

So I waited two weeks after mt scan to call my doc. His policy is he only calls if there is something negative to talk about. I call the office and he called me back. He said there was nothing alarming or abnormal with the scan. All blood and urine was normal. Even did a PSA test.  I have an appointment December 4, 2013 for blood work.  I have high cholesterol and get checked every six months. On this day I will get a copy of the scan summary. This does make me feel better a bit but to be honest I still feel the fullness and pressure in the groin. The node is still bothersome. If you were me, would you feel more confident with the results I've had to date?

[Ken_PA]

That's because a person might have gotten some pathogen (parasite, bacteria, fungus, virus) that a doctor in Canada wouldn't think of offhand. Meanwhile, a doctor in Mexico might say that they see similar medical conditions a lot.

You started by saying that "I tested negative for major bacterial causes." But that would presumably be referring to bacteria typically found in Canada. The same goes for parasites, etc. You also might have met someone in Mexico who had just returned from anywhere, like Thailand. (On the flip side, a doctor in Thailand might not think of Lyme for his patients.)

Is two weeks too long for latency of an infection? I don't now, but doctors in Mexico or Thailand might know. Hopefully, your doc knows about the travel.

[needadvice1911]

Thanks again.  I will share the results as soon as I have them.  Just out of curiosity though, why do you mention exotic locals?  This whole mess began just a couple weeks after I returned from Mexico.