Kim H-C, Han M H, Do K-H, Kim K H, Choi H J, Kim A Y, Sung M W, Chang K-H
Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Acta Radiol. 2002 Nov;43(6):571-4. doi: 10.1080/j.1600-0455.2002.430606.x.
To assess the usefulness of volume measurement using 3D US for depicting metastatic cervical lymph nodes.
Thirty-five cervical lymph nodes in 13 patients with primary head and neck malignancy were included in this study. US with volume acquisition was prospectively performed with a 5-10 MHz linear mechanical volume probe. Volume measurement of the node was calculated using a 3D automatic volume calculation program. The excised nodes matched on US were examined histopathologically.
The volume of malignant nodes ranged from 0.444 to 4.442 cm3, the volume of the benign nodes from 0.143 to 1.176 cm3. Combinations of high positive (>80%) and negative (>90%) predictive values were obtained at a cut-off value of 0.7 cm3.
Volume measurement of cervical nodes using 3D US can be a useful tool for differentiating metastatic from benign nodes in patients with primary head and neck malignancy.