Tenderness on front or side of neck can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose tenderness on front or side of neck, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Enlarged Lymph Nodes | 93% | Confirm |
Sarcoidosis | 18% | Unlikely |
Vasectomy Side-Effects | 13% | Unlikely |
Lymphatic Congestion | 0% | Ruled out |
HIV/AIDS | 0% | Ruled out |
Infectious Mononucleosis | 0% | Ruled out |
CLL Leukemia | 0% | Ruled out |
Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis) | 0% | Ruled out |
SIDES OR FRONT OF NECK: Do you have any tender or painful lymph nodes here?
Possible responses:
→ Don't know→ No → Often, but not right now → 1-2 lymph nodes painful → 3 or more lymph nodes painful |
Enlarged Lymph Nodes also suggests the following possibilities: