My son has shingles on his neck. His doctor sent him for a

Hello;

Thank you for writing in tonight. I understand your concern. Definitely, suspicious lumps in the neck region can be concerning for Hodgkins; however, at this point, this hasn't been diagnosed. There are many different things that can cause lymph node swelling. At this point, your son has had what appears to be an infection, and he now has shingles. Hopefully, this is just some benign swelling. At this point, it is important to get his infection and shingles under control. For now, until you get the results of the CT scan, it is important to stay positive. If you can, I would recommend talking with his provider, he/she may be able to provide more specific information, based on your son's history and physical. I like to tell my patients that worry is often wasted. Worry should be saved for those times when it is needed; however, I understand that this is easier said than done, especially for Moms and Dads. I hope this helps. If you have additional questions or concerns, please let me know. Lisa

The headaches may actually be triggered by his recent illness and/or the shingles. Shingles can be quite painful. A headache would be understandable. At this point, there still is not enough information here to think cancer at this point. The important thing is to have the CT scan, since children with headaches and lumps should be evaluated thoroughly. Try to think positively. Hopefully, this is something minor and this will pass. Lisa

Stress does weaken an immune system, so it is possible. However, his immunity may have been weakened by his recent infection. There are many bugs out there these days that really take a toll on the body. Even an aggressive infection could leave the immune system compromised and making it more likely for shingles to develop. One important consideration would be his blood work. If his blood work is relatively normal, this would be a good sign.