Mycobacterial lymphadenitis.

The plan for cervical lymph node biopsy should include special maneuvers for recognition of patients with lymphadenitis due to atypical mycobacteria, since these children need extensive operations. The diagnosis should be suspected in children less than 3 yr old with lymphadenopathy present for several months and no exposure to cats (or with negative cat scratch skin tests). Wide local excision of all visibly involved nodes is recommended; acid-fast touch preparations should be done and interpreted during operation in any suspicious case. Limited operations should be avoided in children with mycobacterial lymphadenitis. The illness may be more common than previously suspected.