title: Lymph node shape in computed tomography imaging as a predictor for axillary lymph node metastasis in patients with breast cancer.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether preoperative computed tomography (CT) is a useful modality for the diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis. The axillary lymph node status was examined in patients with primary breast cancer who had undergone surgery. In total, 75 patients were analyzed with preoperative contrast CT images, following which the patients underwent an intraoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy to determine possible predictors of axillary lymph node metastasis. The lymph node shape was classified into three groups, which included fat-, clear-and obscure-types. Multivariate analysis revealed that clear-type lymph nodes in preoperative contrast CT imaging may be an independent predictor of lymph node metastasis (odds ratio, 15; P=0.003). Therefore, the results indicated that preoperative CT examination is useful to predict axillary lymph node metastasis.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Goro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kutomi
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Tousei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohmura
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Fukino
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Satomi
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takamaru
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shima
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Otokozawa
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zembutsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirata
keywords: breast cancer; computed tomography; lymph node shape