Cystic or necrotic appearing lymph nodes can be caused by a number of infectious, inflammatory or malignant conditions:
Systemic
- squamous cell carcinoma metastases
- treated lymphoma
- leukemia
- viral lymphadenitis
- bacterial lymphadenitis
- tuberculous adenitis
- non-tuberculous mycobacterial adenitis
- fatty nodal metaplasia
- systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Kawasaki disease
Neck
- 2nd branchial cleft cyst
- papillary thyroid carcinoma nodal metastases
- Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease