In the pediatric surgery clinic, we often come across many family members who come to the clinic because of unintentional discovery of lumps in the neck of their babies, most of which are enlarged lymph nodes. When it comes to lymph nodes, many families will easily associate it with lymphoma or malignant tumors, and therefore are very nervous and anxious. So how do you treat enlarged lymph nodes in children? The vast majority of enlarged lymph nodes are caused by inflammation, and only a very small number are associated with tumors. Inflammation can take various forms, such as upper respiratory tract infections (colds and fevers, bronchitis, pharyngitis), oral infections (oral inflammation associated with tooth replacement in children), tonsillitis, eczema of the head and facial skin, allergic rhinitis, etc., all of which can cause enlarged lymph nodes. In addition, there is a large part of hidden inflammation without any clinical manifestations can also cause lymph node enlargement, this is due to the immature development of children’s immune system, very susceptible to external bacterial and viral attacks, and the lymph nodes is the human body to the outside world of a barrier, relying on the lymph nodes in the proliferation of lymphatic tissues to resist the invasion of external bacterial and viral. For these inflammation-induced lymph node enlargement generally do not need to do special treatment for the lymph nodes, only need to actively treat the primary infection can be, such as upper respiratory tract infections, oral infections, tonsillitis and so on, after the cure, lymph node enlargement will naturally slowly subside. For hidden enlarged lymph nodes, no treatment is needed, as long as it is closely observed, as long as there is no sudden enlargement, redness, swelling and pain, no treatment is needed. Lymph node enlargement caused by tumor is most commonly seen in lymphoma, and metastasis of tumor from nearby organs can also cause lymph node enlargement, such as thyroid cancer. If the swelling occurs suddenly within 1-2 days, accompanied by obvious localized redness, swelling, pain, or even burning of the surface skin, the slightest touch will cause severe pain. This is most likely lymph node inflammation, which requires prompt medical attention to treat the infection with antibiotics, and in serious cases, it may cause lymph node abscess or even require incision and drainage. In addition, if there is a very hard lymph node enlargement, and fixed push, or multiple lymph nodes fused into a mass, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible, may be related to the tumor.