García-Gómez J, Alva LF, García-Reyna JC, Ortega N, Espinoza V, Arias G

Language: Spanish
References: 9
Page: 136-145
PDF size: 1714.92 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Head and neck cancer represents 5% of malignant tumours. Metastasis identification at cervical lymph nodes is the key for therapeutic planning, as well as staging and prognostic evolution of these tumours. Cervical lymph nodes identification may represent one of the most challenging difficulties for radiologists, since most specialists do not have enough knowledge about head and neck anatomy, as well as the unknowing of cervical lymph nodes classification, which is of great importance for neck pathology evaluation. Different image modalities can identify a significant number of patients with cancer of head and neck lymphadenopathy up to 85%. Once a lymph node is identified in a diagnostic study, the radiologist must describe its morphologic characteristics, localization and use the most accurate nomenclature to refer the findings to the clinician and determine the criteria to be used in evaluating whether a node is pathologic or not. In this article we describe and illustrate the nodal cervical classification by ultrasound and positron emission tomography - computed tomography and the identification of nodes features in order to differentiate their typical benign and malignant lesions. The imaging characteristics and typical locations of neck lymph nodes are illustrated on axial and coronal positron emission tomography - computed tomography with the corresponding ultrasound.

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