title: Otolaryngologist-performed head and neck ultrasound: outcomes and challenges in learning the technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility and accuracy of otolaryngologist-performed ultrasound in evaluating head and neck pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ENT trainee, who had undergone basic training in neck ultrasonography, performed this on patients referred with suspected neck pathology. The trainee recorded the presence and nature of any abnormality. Findings were compared with those from a repeated scan performed by an experienced head and neck radiologist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 250 patients. The absence or presence of lesion as reported by the trainee correlated with the radiologist's findings in 207 cases (83 per cent). There were 144 true positives, 63 true negatives, 32 false negatives and 11 false positives, yielding a sensitivity of 82 per cent, specificity of 85 per cent and accuracy of 83 per cent. Of the 144 true positive lesions, 81 per cent were interpreted concordantly with the radiologist.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neck ultrasonography performed by an otolaryngologist is less accurate than that performed by an experienced radiologist, but is still a useful adjunct to clinical assessment, facilitating assessment in a 'one-stop' clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT,Addenbrooke's Hospital,Cambridge,UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Badran
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT,Addenbrooke's Hospital,Cambridge,UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jani
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology,Addenbrooke's Hospital,Cambridge,UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berman
mesh_terms: D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000193:education* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*; D010173:Palpation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000592:standards*