title: The role of MRI scanning in the diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathy.
abstract: In a blind, prospective trial, 42 patients undergoing 51 cervical lymph node dissections for head and neck malignancies were investigated by a preoperative MRI scan. Histological examination of the dissection specimens recorded the distribution, size, percentage of neoplastic involvement and any extra-capsular spread of the sampled nodes. The MRI correctly diagnosed all 17 positive nodes (sensitivity 100%). However it could not differentiate between enlarged reactive and malignant nodes, so there was a significant false positive rate (specificity 53%). Routine use of MRI scans will allow an unnecessary neck dissection to be avoided in a patient with a clinically negative neck who also has a negative MRI scan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chippindale
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Soames
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000556:secondary; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D037981:Neck Dissection; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method