Enlarged lymph nodes that are tender and warm most likely indicate which of the following?

• A. Local infection or inflammation
• B. Allergic reaction
• C. Malignancy
• D. Dehydration

Answer: (A)

Tender, warm enlarged lymph nodes point to a local infection or inflammatory process. When a region is infected, the lymph nodes nearby swell as they filter pathogens and rally immune cells. The warmth comes from increased blood flow to the inflamed tissue, and tenderness results from swelling and chemical mediators irritating surrounding tissues.

Malignancy, meanwhile, tends to cause nodes that are enlarged but usually not painful and may feel hard, fixed, or nonmobile. An allergic reaction can cause swelling, but it’s not typically characterized by tender, warm, localized lymph nodes. Dehydration doesn’t cause lymph node enlargement either. So the combination of tenderness and warmth with enlargement most strongly indicates local infection or inflammation.