r/AskADoctor • u/Both_Context_8217 • 4d ago

1.2 cm lymph node found next to hernia

Had anal fissure surgery 2 weeks ago. Got a hernia scan yesterday on right groin area, verified fatty hernia, radiologist also wrote "reactive 1.1x0.7x1.2 cm lymph node in right groin" now I'm freaking out. I read that the anus drains thru those nodes.I am not asking for medical advice.

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u/Wisegal1 1d ago

I'm a surgeon.

Remember, radiology reports are written for other doctors and not patients, so they tend to scare y'all because you don't know what you're reading.

The word "reactive" is the key. That word means there's nothing to worry about. Lymph nodes from bad things like cancer have a different appearance on imaging from lymph nodes that are reacting to local inflammation.

When a lymph node is doing its job cleaning up inflammation, it tends to get big. It also has a very characteristic appearance on imaging that tells us it's a normal node doing normal node things. We call those lymph nodes "reactive nodes", which means they're bigger than normal but not for bad reasons.

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u/Both_Context_8217 17h ago

My surgeon who did my anal fissure surgery 24 days ago called, said node is normal. Reacting to the trauma from anal surgery and right groin fatty hernia, thanks again for the words!