The Correlation between CT Images and Pathological Findings in Metastatic Cervical Lymph Nodes

Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology 1988;4(1):5-11.
Published online September 30, 1988.

Won Sang Lee;Kwang Moon Kim;Kwang Hyun Chung;Hoon Sang Chang;Jee Woo Kim;Dong Ik Kim

두경부 악성종양에서 경부임파절전이에 대한 CT Scan의 진단적 의의

이원상;김광문;정광현;장훈상;김지우;김동익

Abstract

CT examination has been used in the preoperative examination of patients with head and neck cancer. The accuracy of CT in detecting nodal metastases has not been well established. We studied 35 patients (41 neck specimens) with head and neck cancer who underwent neck dissection. Surgical pathologic findings were compared with preoperative CT scan to establish the diagnostic accuracy for cervical lymph node metastases. The results of physical examination, CT scans of neck and histologic examinations were compared each other. The overall diagnostic accuracy of CT was 83.3%. Comparison with clinical accuracy shows the CT scan to be superior to the clinical examination in spite of careful physical examination, particularly in detecting occult metastases.