APPLICATION OF IMAGING METHODS IN THE DIAGNOSTICS OF MALIGNANT NECK LYMPH NODES

• Main Authors: Slađana Petrović, Maja Jocić, Dragan Stojanov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University in Nis, Faculty of Medicine 2013-01-01
• Series: Acta Medica Medianae
• Subjects: lymph nodes of the neck; tumors of the head and neck; US; CT; MRI; metastases
• Online Access: http://publisher.medfak.ni.ac.rs/2013-html/2-broj/Sladjana%20Petrovic-Application.pdf

The presence of malignant lymph nodes in the neck is a prognostic factor in planocellular carcinomas of the head and neck which are the most common primary tumors of this region. Determination of neck lymph nodes involvement is necessary for deciding on surgical treatment and planning chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Metastases in the neck lymph nodes reduce patient survival to a half. Localization of metastatic lymph nodes, their number and size are also very important factors which correlate with distant metastases. Besides clinical examination which includes inspection and palpation of the neck, the diagnostics of metastatic neck lymph nodes also uses imaging techniques: ultrasound (US), computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Precision and reliability of these methods depends on the application of adequate radiological criteria in the diagnostics of malignant lymph nodes of the neck.