Ultrasonographic visibility of supraclavicular lymph nodes in normal subjects

We investigated the ultrasonographic assessment of the supraclavicular nodes in the neck of normal subjects. Supraclavicular areas were examined sonographically in 505 healthy persons using a 10 MHz transducer. The detection rate was 15.8%. In more than 90% of visible nodes, transverse diameters were less than 5 mm; no nodes were larger than 7 mm in transverse diameter. About half of nodes lacked the echogenic hilum and the mean longitudinal to transverse diameter ratio was 1.96. Although size was an important factor, presence of an echogenic hilum and the longitudinal to transverse diameter ratio were not considered adequate criteria for differentiating malignancy from benignity. Findings require careful assessment to avoid overinterpretation.