Diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography for cervical metastases at different anatomical levels in carcinoma of the tongue.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the variation in diagnostic accuracy of CT in the assessment of cervical lymph node metastases from tongue carcinoma at different anatomical levels.


METHODS
Sixty-one patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue who underwent radical neck dissection were included in this study. The CT and histopathological findings at nodal levels I-V were compared for the presence or absence of lymph node metastases. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) of CT were evaluated for each nodal level.


RESULTS
The sensitivity of CT was: level I, 85%; level II, 77.8%; level III, 53.3%; level IV, 66.7% and level V, 25%. There was a significant difference in the sensitivity between the level I-II group (80.9%) and level III-V group (53.6%) (P=0.012). There was no significant difference in the specificity, NPV, and PPV between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The sensitivity of CT in detecting cervical lymph node metastases was significantly smaller at levels III-V than at levels I-II.
Ogura
I
I
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
Kurabayashi
T
T
Amagasa
T
T
Sasaki
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003287:Contrast Media; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007479:Iopamidol; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
D003287:Contrast Media; D007479:Iopamidol