The clinic value of color doppler ultrasound in diagnosing of axillary metastatic lymph nodes

Objective To evaluate the accuracy of color doppler ultrasound and manual palpation in the diagnosis of axillary metastatic lymph nodes (AMLNs) and to identify the value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of occult (AMLNs).Methods Sixty patients were studied double \|blindedly by color Doppler ultrasonography prior to axillary lymph\|adenectomy, and the results were correlated with histopathologic findings.Results According to histologic examination of the dissected specimens, in 33of 60 patients were axillary lymph node metastases , 17of 33 patients with metastatic nodes were diagnosed by manual palpation (sensitivity ,51.5%; specificity, 88.9%; accuracy , 68.3%). However, lymph node metastases in 28 patients were revealed by color Doppler ultrasound (sensitivity ,84.8%; specificity ,100%; accuracy, 91.7%), color Doppler ultrasound discovered 68.7% of the occult metastatic nodes in this series .Conclusion Color Doppler ultrasound examinations are superior to physical palpation in ascertaining (AMLNs) ,as 68.7% of the occult (AMLNs) can be diagnosed.