title: Neck dissection: past and present.
abstract: The presence of lymph node metastasis to the neck is accepted as one of the single most important adverse prognostic indicators of survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Neck dissection in its various forms is the standard surgical treatment for clinical and subclinical metastatic cancer to the neck. This paper is a review of the anatomy of the neck, history and specific types of neck dissection, indications, therapeutic options, and current challenges in the treatment of metastatic neck disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX, USA. yducic@sbcglobal.net
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ducic
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McIntyre
mesh_terms: D005544:Forecasting; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009333:Neck / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends