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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Signs and symptoms of mesenteric lymphadenitis may include:
- Abdominal pain, often centered on the lower, right side, but the pain can sometimes be more widespread
- General abdominal tenderness
- Fever
Depending on what's causing the ailment, other signs and symptoms may include:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- General feeling of being unwell (malaise)
In some cases, swollen lymph nodes are found on imaging tests for another problem. Mesenteric lymphadenitis that doesn't cause symptoms may need further evaluation.
When to see a doctor
Abdominal pain is common in children and teens, and it can be hard to know when it's a problem that needs medical attention.
In general, call your doctor right away if your child has episodes of:
- Sudden, severe abdominal pain
- Abdominal pain with fever
- Abdominal pain with diarrhea or vomiting
In addition, call your doctor if your child has episodes of the following signs and symptoms that don't get better over a short time:
- Abdominal pain with a change in bowel habits
- Abdominal pain with loss of appetite (anorexia)
- Abdominal pain that interferes with sleep
- Doherty GM, ed. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Surgery. 13th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=23. Accessed June 3, 2013.
- Brunicardi FC, ed., et al. Schwartz's Principles of Surgery. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=50. Accessed June 3, 2013.
- Ferry GD. Causes of acute abdominal pain in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed June 3, 2013.
- Fishman MB, et al. Differential diagnosis of abdominal pain in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed June 3, 2013.
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