Department of Radiology, Ataturk University School of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
Department of Radiology, The Hospital of Ataturk University, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
Pediatr Radiol. 2024 Nov;54(12):2006-2014. doi: 10.1007/s00247-024-06069-2. Epub 2024 Oct 22.
Age-specific normal measurements or specific size criteria for retropharyngeal lymph nodes in children have not been defined.
We aimed to determine the normal measurements and distribution of retropharyngeal lymph nodes on three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3-D MRI) in children.
In this retrospective study, we included 440 patients (213 girls) aged 0-17 years who were admitted to our center with seizures and headaches and underwent brain and neck MRI with T2-sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolution sequences. We evaluated the number, laterality, and level distribution of lateral and medial group lymph nodes according to the skull base-cervical vertebrae. For both groups, we measured the short and long diameters of the largest lymph node in the axial plane and the craniocaudal diameter in the sagittal plane. The short/long diameter ratios and volumes were determined.
In 433 cases (98%), 1,554 lateral group lymph nodes were detected. Medial group lymph nodes were less common (7%). The lateral group was mostly bilateral, while the medial group was unilateral. Lateral group lymph nodes extended from the skull base-first cervical (C1) vertebral level to the C4, while the medial group extended from the C2 vertebral level to the C4. The mean axial short axis, axial long axis, and sagittal long axis diameters were 5.8 mm, 10.1 mm, and 15.5 mm for the lateral group and 3.8 mm, 7.6 mm, and 10.8 mm for the medial group, respectively.
The findings of the study show that normally retropharyngeal lymph nodes are frequently seen in children and provide valuable information for lateral and medial lymph nodes depending on age.
尚未定义儿童咽后淋巴结的特定年龄正常测量值或特定大小标准。
我们旨在通过三维磁共振成像（3-D MRI）确定儿童咽后淋巴结的正常测量值和分布。
在这项回顾性研究中，我们纳入了 440 名（213 名女性）年龄在 0-17 岁的患者，这些患者因癫痫发作和头痛到我们中心就诊，接受了脑部和颈部 MRI 检查，包括 T2 采样完美应用优化对比度使用不同翻转角演化序列。我们根据颅底-颈椎评估了外侧和内侧组淋巴结的数量、侧别和水平分布。对于两组，我们在轴位测量了最大淋巴结的短径和长径，在矢状位测量了最大淋巴结的颅尾径。确定了短/长径比和体积。
在 433 例（98%）中，共检测到 1554 个外侧组淋巴结。内侧组淋巴结较少见（7%）。外侧组主要为双侧，而内侧组为单侧。外侧组淋巴结从颅底到第一颈椎（C1）椎体水平延伸至 C4，而内侧组淋巴结从 C2 椎体水平延伸至 C4。外侧组淋巴结的轴位短轴、轴位长轴和矢状位长轴平均直径分别为 5.8mm、10.1mm 和 15.5mm，内侧组淋巴结分别为 3.8mm、7.6mm 和 10.8mm。
研究结果表明，正常情况下咽后淋巴结在儿童中很常见，为基于年龄的外侧和内侧淋巴结提供了有价值的信息。
