[Radiologic evaluation of cervical metastatic adenopathy]

A radiologic evaluation in nine patients with cervical adenopathy because of metastatic disease at a known or unknown primary site, inflammatory lymphadenitis or with masses simulating with cervical adenopathy was done. All patients were examined normally by an oral and maxillofacial or E.N.T. surgeon before the radiologic evaluation with CT, ultrasonography and/or sialography. CT was done in seven out of nine patients as the unique technique or in combination with ultrasonography and/or sialography, while ultrasonography was used in two of the cases as a unique imaging technique and in one case in combination with a CT examination, without any intravenous contrast administration. A primary site was diagnosed in five cases, while in a sixth case was not diagnosed. In an eighth case of submandibular nodal enlargement, the diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease was established after a biopsy. For the last two cases the diagnosis of tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy was confirmed. From the above cases it is clearly shown that computerized tomography, especially with intravenous contrast administration, ultrasonography and sialography in some of the cases, are necessary as routine examinations, before a diagnosis of cervical metastatic disease is to be done.