MR study of lateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes at different ages.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the age-related morphologic changes of the lateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes using MR imaging.


METHODS
The maximal axial diameter of the nodes was measured on the MR image in 120 healthy subjects (younger group 6-19 years (n = 40), middle group 20-38 years (n = 48), older group 42-74 years (n = 32)). Between-group differences in the diameter of the nodes were analyzed.


RESULTS
Mean values of the maximal axial diameter of the nodes were 9.0 +/- 1.6 mm, 6.6 +/- 1.7 mm, and 5.3 +/- 1.6 mm, corresponding to younger group, middle group, and older group, respectively ( P <.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The information obtained in the current study is useful for the differential diagnosis of normal and abnormal lateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes according to age.
Ogura
Ichiro
I
Department of Radiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Matsudo, Japan. iogura@mascat.nihon-u.ac.jp
Kaneda
Takashi
T
Kato
Masataka
M
Mori
Shintaro
S
Motohashi
Junko
J
Lee
Kwangsoon
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008445:Maxillofacial Development; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric