Normal size of benign upper neck nodes on MRI: parotid, submandibular, occipital, facial, retroauricular and level IIb nodal groups

Cancer Imaging

Research Article

Qi Yong H. Ai¹  Tiffany Y. So²  Ann D. King²  Kuo Feng Hung³ 

[1] Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R, P.R. China;Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong S.A.R, P.R. China;Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong S.A.R, P.R. China;Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R, P.R. China;

关键词: Normal nodal size;    MRI;    head and neck;    Benign and reactive;    Lymph nodes;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40644-022-00504-z

 received in 2022-08-26, accepted in 2022-11-10,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

PurposeNodal size is an important imaging criterion for differentiating benign from malignant nodes in the head and neck cancer staging. This study evaluated the size of normal nodes in less well-documented nodal groups in the upper head and neck on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).MethodsAnalysis was performed on 289 upper head and neck MRIs of patients without head and neck cancer. The short axial diameters (SAD) of the largest node in the parotid, submandibular, occipital, facial, retroauricular and Level IIb of the upper internal jugular nodal groups were documented and compared to the commonly used threshold of ≥ 10 mm for diagnosis of a malignant node.ResultsNormal nodes in the parotid, occipital, retroauricular and Level IIb groups were small with a mean SAD ranging from 3.8 to 4.4 mm, nodes in the submandibular group were larger with a mean SAD of 5.5 mm and facial nodes were not identified. A size ≥ 10 mm was found in 0.8% of submandibular nodes. Less than 10% of the other nodal group had a SAD of ≥ 6 mm and none of them had a SAD ≥ 8 mm.ConclusionTo identify malignant neck nodes in these groups there is scope to reduce the size threshold of ≥ 10 mm to improve sensitivity without substantial loss of specificity.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022

【 图 表 】

Fig. 1

12888_2022_4322_Article_IEq2.gif