Hard Lymph nodes months after infection

I had oral gonorrhea that lasted for a long time. A lymph node on the right side of my neck hurt got massive and then hard. Eventually I got proper treatment and the infection went away but months later lymph nodes all over my neck are hard and painless. The ENT had my neck biopsied with a five pass through FNA. It came back as non cancerous. I went to the ENT about 2 months after this since my lymph nodes hadn't gone down in size and I noticed more hard lymphnodes all over my neck hard and painless ( but they were small). The ENT felt my neck for a second and said I'm fine. I just don't feel right about it. My tonsils are massive and the lymph node in my neck is still huge. I know that sometimes lymphnodes don't go down in size after infection but usually lymphnodes are not hard and painless from infection. They're not growing at all at least. I just want some advice on what I should do next or if anyone has had similar lymphatic reactions from infection that were not cancerous. 

  • Hi Teron and welcome to the forum.

    As you're still worried about this maybe you could try seeking out a second opinion? We have more information about this on our website just here if you'd like to find out more. 

    Our members know how difficult it can be to deal with the doubt that plays on your mind after being told you're ok so I'm sure some of them will pop by when they can to offer their support and advice.

    All the best, 

    Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Hi Teron,

    As Moderator Steph has said, given your worry it may well be useful to seek a second opinion.

    That said your last sentence does apply to me and my cousin.  At one point in my 20s I had 8 swollen lymph nodes around my neck.  Presumably I had infection but not one that I was aware of anyway.  Various tests showed them to be nothing to worry about.  However, they all lasted for many years (hard and painless) and two of them are still with me today (2 decades on!)  My cousin at one point had 11 such lumps around her neck and hers also lasted for many years, indeed I haven't asked her in a while but some of hers may still be swollen decades on too.

    Bear in mind that the ENT can feel things that we can't.  They are used to feeling different lumps and are able to describe them in more detail (grisly etc.) where to us with our lack of experience with lumps we are stuck with hard or soft.  Similarly on websites we just read that lumps=cancer but in reality lumps all feel different and only some sorts of lumps are going to cause your specialist to worry.

    You do say your tonsils are still massive so I would be surprised if your lymph nodes had gone down with that being the case.  But get a second opinion to put your mind at ease, or specifically ask the previous ENT what it is about the lumps that makes them happy it isn't anything to worry about.

    Best wishes,

    LJ

  • Hi just came here for an update. Did you find out what was the cause of your swollen lymph nodes?