Enlarged lymph nodes of the neck: evaluation with parallel extended field-of-view sonographic sequences

A standardized extended field-of-view sonographic examination technique of the neck is evaluated. In a prospective study we screened 50 patients suspected of having carcinoma or lymphoma for enlarged cervical lymph nodes. After conventional CT of the neck, extended field-of-view sonography was performed using defined axial parallel scanning sequences. The results were interpreted separately by two radiologists. Of 245 lymph nodes (diameter 1 cm or greater) diagnosed with conventional CT, 218 were correctly identified by extended field-of-view ultrasonography. With respect to the entire neck, the sensitivity of extended field-of-view sonography was 92%, and the correlation coefficient between the methods was r = 0.98 (P < 0.001). Fifteen of 17 false-negative lymph nodes were located in the mandibular angle region. False-positive results (N = 10) were caused by misinterpretation of primary tumors, blood vessels, lobulated salivary glands, and double imaged lymph nodes. Our results indicate that extended field-of-view sonography in parallel scanning sequences represents a reliable method for the detection of cervical lymphadenopathy.