Metastatic neck disease. Palpation vs ultrasound examination

Nodal disease is a diagnostic problem in head and neck oncology. Current methods for investigation of the neck are not satisfactory as far as differentiation between necks with positive nodes and those with negative nodes is concerned. In the present study, the results of palpation and ultrasound examination were compared with histopathologic examination results of 120 neck dissection specimens. Furthermore, the value of ultrasound examination, combined with cytologic examination, of neck nodes was evaluated. Ultrasound examination was characterized by high sensitivity, ie, 96.8%; specificity was 32.0%. When the results of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy were added to the ultrasound findings, specificity was as high as 92.9%. From these results, it was concluded that ultrasound examination with fine-needle aspiration biopsy is an accurate method for assessment of the neck in head and neck oncology.