Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 28, 2025
Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Visualization in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Thyroid Cancer
Published on: June 9, 2023
Ultrasound in cervical traumatic neuromas after neck dissection in thyroid carcinoma patients: descriptive analysis
Vinicius Neves Marcos1, Debora Lucia Seguro Danilovic2, Fernando Linhares Pereira3
1Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (Icesp), Departamento de Radiologia, Unidade de Ultrassom, São Paulo, SP, Brasil, viniciusnevesm@gmail.com.
Objective:
Cervical traumatic neuromas (CTNs) may appear after lateral neck dissection for metastatic thyroid carcinoma. If they are misdiagnosed as metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) in follow-up neck ultrasound (US), unnecessary and uncomfortable fine-needle aspiration biopsy are indicated. The present study aimed to describe US features of CTNs and to assess the US performance in distinguishing CTNs from abnormal LNs.
Subjects And Methods:
Retrospective evaluation of neck US images of 206 consecutive patients who had lateral neck dissection as a part of thyroid cancer treatment to assess CTN´s US features. Diagnostic accuracy study to evaluate US performance in distinguishing CTNs from abnormal LNs was performed.
Results:
Eight-six lateral neck nodules were selected for analysis: 38 CTNs and 48 abnormal LNs. CTNs with diagnostic cytology were predominantly hypoechogenic (100% vs. 45%; P = 0.008) and had shorter diameters than inconclusive cytology CTNs: short axis (0.39 cm vs. 0.50 cm; P = 0.03) and long axis (1.64 cm vs. 2.35 cm; P = 0.021). The US features with the best accuracy to distinguish CTNs from abnormal LNs were continuity with a nervous structure, hypoechogenic internal lines, short/long axis ratio ≤ 0.42, absent Doppler vascularization, fusiform morphology, and short axis ≤ 0.48 cm.
Conclusion:
US is a very useful method for assessing CTNs, with good performance in distinguishing CTNs from abnormal LNs.
