In a healthy neck examination, the lymph nodes should normally be:

In a healthy neck examination, the normal findings regarding lymph nodes typically indicate that they should be small and non-palpable. Lymph nodes are part of the immune system and their primary function is to filter lymph and assist in the immune response. In healthy individuals, these lymph nodes are generally not palpable due to their size being small and their position being deep within the tissues. When lymph nodes cannot be felt during a physical examination, it suggests that there is no underlying pathology, such as infection or malignancy, affecting them.

Options that describe lymph nodes as soft and palpable or firm and painful suggest abnormal conditions. Soft and palpable lymph nodes could indicate reactive lymphadenopathy, which occurs in response to infection, whereas firm and painful nodes often suggest an active infection or inflammatory process. Additionally, options indicating that lymph nodes are visible and enlarged would signal abnormalities, as healthy lymph nodes should not typically be enlarged or noticeable without pathology. Thus, the presence of small and non-palpable lymph nodes aligns with the expectations of a normal neck examination.