title: Review of ultrasonography of malignant neck nodes: greyscale, Doppler, contrast enhancement and elastography.
abstract: Assessment of neck lymph nodes is essential in patients with head and neck cancers for predicting the patient's prognosis and selecting the appropriate treatment. Ultrasonography is a useful imaging tool in the assessment of neck lymph nodes. Greyscale ultrasonography assesses the size, distribution, and internal architecture of lymph nodes. Doppler ultrasonography evaluates the intranodal vascular pattern and resistance of lymph nodes. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography provides information on lymph node parenchymal perfusion. Elastography allows qualitative and quantitative assessment of lymph node stiffness. This article reviews the value of greyscale, Doppler and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography as well as elastography in the assessment of malignant nodes in the neck.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: K S S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Y P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Ahuja
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003287:Contrast Media; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009333:Neck; D009336:Necrosis; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media