Incidence of malignancy in peripheral lymph node biopsy.
A review was made of 62 lymph node biopsy procedures during a 12-month period, from January 1, 1982, to December 31, 1982. The overall diagnostic yield was 56.5 per cent. Malignant lymph nodes were found in 53.2 per cent of cases. Seventy-two and two-tenths per cent (72.2%) of all malignant lymph nodes were metastatic carcinoma, including 6.1 per cent of metastatic lymph nodes with unknown primary. Twenty-seven and three-tenths per cent (27.3%) of all malignant lymph nodes belonged to the lymphoma-leukemia group. Among all the superficial lymph node regions, enlarged supraclavicular lymph nodes are associated with the highest incidence (75%) of malignancy. Clinical features associated with high incidence malignancy were: age greater than 55 years (75.8%), duration of less than 1 month (66.6%)--particularly, with a history of previous malignancy (91.7%). The anatomic knowledge of regional lymphatic drainage is essential in localizing the primary lesion of a metastatic lymph node.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002968:Clavicle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D011336:Probability