[Possibilities of ultrasonographic differentiation of neck and axillary lymphadenopathy]

Technical development of ultrasonography connected with improvement of resolving power has enlarged possibilities in detection and differentiation of lymph nodes. In the current clinical practice ultrasonic examination is most frequently requested for assessment of lymph nodes in neck and axillary regions in connection with inflammatory or tumour diseases. Although the final diagnosis must be confirmed histopathologically, there exist some echographic criteria enabling with a great probability to appoint the malignant character of lymph nodes: round shape expressed by the shape index near to 1, sharp edges, heterogeneous echostructure and mainly loss of the hilar sign. In highly enlarged lymph nodes these criteria can be completed by colour Doppler examination revealing a peripheral type of intranodal vascularity and increased value of impedance indices in supply artery (RI > 0.8, PI > 1.8).