Young Woman With a Sore Throat and Neck Mass

Critical review of clinical practice guidelines for evaluation of neck mass in adults

“…1 Generally, when the mass is accompanied by signs of inflammation, short-term observation with a course of antibiotics is a reasonable option. 2 , 3 , 4 However, if the mass persists or grows in size, further investigation is warranted to rule out other infectious, inflammatory, or neoplastic causes. 5 Accordingly, a neck mass may be the only manifestation of malignancy of the head and neck, and the top priority should be ruling out this insidious cause.…”