Differentiation Between Benign and Metastatic Cervical Lymph Nodes Using Ultrasound

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiology
• Pathology

Background:

• Oral squamous cell carcinoma frequently metastasizes to cervical lymph nodes.
• Accurate assessment of lymph node status is crucial for treatment planning.
• Ultrasound offers a non-invasive method for evaluating cervical lymph nodes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reliability of ultrasound in differentiating benign from metastatic cervical lymph nodes in oral cancer patients.
• To correlate ultrasound findings with histopathological results.
• To determine the predictive value of specific ultrasound features.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 200 lymph nodes from 38 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients pre-surgery.
• Assessed lymph node size, shape, S/L ratio, margin, and internal echo structure via ultrasound.
• Correlated ultrasound findings with histopathological diagnoses.

Main Results:

• Ultrasound achieved an overall accuracy of 77.83% in identifying metastatic lymph nodes.
• Irregular margin and lymph node size were the most predictive sonographic criteria.
• Internal echo structure showed variable correlation with histopathology.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasound parameters (size, shape, margin, S/L ratio, echo structure) aid in differentiating benign and metastatic lymph nodes.
• Combining multiple sonographic criteria enhances diagnostic accuracy.
• Each ultrasound parameter has limitations when used alone for lymph node assessment.