title: Detailed nodal features of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis on serial neck computed tomography before and after chemotherapy: focus on the relation between clinical outcomes and computed tomography features.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relation between clinical outcomes and nodal features on computed tomography (CT) in cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (CTBL) before and after antituberculous chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six patients with CTBL underwent CT before and after a 6- or 12-month course of standard chemotherapy. Three radiologists evaluated the nodal features on serial CT retrospectively, including calcification (no/punctuate/large), necrosis (no/eccentric/central), perinodal infiltrations (no/localized/extensive), and enhancing patterns (no/peripheral/homogeneous). The clinical outcome was defined as "favorable" (n = 33) or "unfavorable" (n = 23) at the completion of chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the features on the initial CT scan did not show a statistically significant difference between the favorable and unfavorable groups. On the final CT scan, absence of necrosis (P < 0.005), no infiltration (P < 0.005), no enhancement (P < 0.008), and central enhancement (P < 0.014) were more common in the favorable group, whereas large necrosis (P < 0.005), localized and extensive infiltration (P = 0.005, P < 0.005), and peripheral enhancement were more common in the unfavorable group (P < 0.005, P = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Central necrosis, perinodal infiltration, and peripheral rim enhancement on the final CT scan showed differences between the 2 groups. These CT features reflecting inflammation can be useful findings for assessing treatment response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Bo-Kyung
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Je
authors.forename: Min Ja
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung-Bum
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Taik-Kun
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Nam Joon
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide