Retrospective Analysis on the Ultrasound Features of Painless Neck Lymph Node Enlargement

Objective To provide reliable diagnostic basis for clinicians to distinguish between malignant and benign painless neck lymph node enlargement,by analyzing the ultrasound findings of the disease identified by pathological examination,comparing sonographic features of benign and malignant abnormal lymph nodes,and obtaining valuable sonographic diagnosis information.Methods Ninety-seven patients including 56 men and 41 women diagnosed to have painless neck lymph node enlargement proved to be benign or malignant with pathological method were selected as our subjects.They were treated in No.3 Hospital of Tangshan from July 2007 to December 2009.We detected 365 cervical lymph nodes and divided them into two groups according to pathological examination: 98 benign lymph nodes and 267 malignant.Results There were significant differences(P0.05) between the two groups in the shape of cervical lymph nodes,the ratio of long/short axis(L/S),types of echo and hilus of lymph node.There was no significant difference(P0.05) in the long axis of cervical lymph nodes.The majority benign lymph nodes had significant hilar blood flow or had no blood flow.The majority malignant cervical lymph nodes had peripheral blood flow or mixed blood flow.There was significant difference(P0.05) in the blood flow type.There was no significant difference(P0.05) in PSV and EDV between the two groups.The RI in the benign group was 0.59 ± 0.12 and it was 0.71 ± 0.11 in the malignant group,and the difference was significant(P0.05).The vascular resistance of the majority of malignant cervical lymph nodes was higher than the benign ones.Conclusions High frequency color doppler ultrasonography is of important value in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes diseases.It can be regarded as one method of evaluating cervical lymph nodes.