Swollen lymph node in the head. Could it be Lymphoma?

Dear Ask The Doctor: I went to the doctor a month ago with a pea sized knot on the back of my neck right about the hair line. He told me that it was swollen lymph node that was draining from my scalp. For whatever reason my head is extremely itchy, especially around the swollen node. A month later, head is still itching and swollen node is still there. Although it never gets larger than pea sized, the swelling of the lymph node does seem to go down at times. Does this sound like lymphoma or could the lymph node be caused by an infection I have in or on my scalp?

Dear Dusti: Having a swollen lymph node for a month does cause some concern but since you have not mentioned any history of fever, night sweats and weight loss, it is less likely that you have a lymphoma. In my opinion the most probable cause is an infection of the scalp (fungal, bacterial or parasitic). Investigation and treatment the cause of the scalp infection will most probably resolve the swollen lymph node.