title: MR study of lateral retropharyngeal lymph nodes at different ages.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, Matsudo, Japan. iogura@mascat.nihon-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Shintaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Motohashi
authors.forename: Kwangsoon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: 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