title: Consensus statement on the classification and terminology of neck dissection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To update the guidelines for neck dissection terminology, as previously recommended by the American Head and Neck Society.
  
  
  METHODS
  Committee for Neck Dissection Classification, American Head and Neck Society; representation from the Committee for Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (T.A.D.).
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of current literature on neck dissection classification.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semiannual face-to-face meetings of the Committee for Neck Dissection Terminology and e-mail correspondence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Standardization of terminology for neck dissection is important for communication among clinicians and researchers. New recommendations have been made regarding the following: boundaries between levels I and II and between levels III/IV and VI; terminology of the superior mediastinal nodes; and the method of submitting surgical specimens for pathologic analysis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62794-9677, USA. trobbins@siumed.edu
authors.forename: K Thomas
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.forename: Ashok R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Shaha
authors.forename: Jesus E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Califano
authors.forename: Gregory T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Alfio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferlito
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Som
authors.forename: Terry A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Day
mesh_terms: D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008482:Mediastinum; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000145:classification*; D012015:Reference Standards; D013048:Specimen Handling; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014481:United States