title: Importance of Delphian Lymph Node Evaluation in Autoimmune Thyroiditis: Fact or Fiction?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our main objective was to evaluate the association between autoimmune thyroiditis and the Delphian lymph node during different stages of thyroiditis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The relationships between the ultrasonography (US) results of thyroiditis and characteristics of the Delphian lymph node in different stages of AT were evaluated. Thyroid hormone and antibody levels were assessed. A total of 126 patients were divided into four groups according to the thyroid US findings: Group 1: control cases; Group 2: indeterminate cases; Group 3: established thyroiditis cases; Group 4: advanced-late stage thyroiditis cases. Indeterminate cases attended a 1-year follow-up, and the cases with a sonographic finding matching thyroiditis formed Group 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rate of Delphian lymph node presence in Group 4 was significantly higher than in Groups 1 and 2 (p<0.01). In addition, its presence was significantly higher in Group 3 than in Group 1 (p<0.05). Although there was a difference in Delphian lymph node presence between Groups 2 and 3, it was not significant (p=0.052), nor was there a significant difference between Groups 1 and 2 (p>0.05). Both the long and short axis measurements were significantly higher in Groups 2, 3, and 4 compared to those in the control group. However, the same increase was not observed in the long/short axis ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the presence and dimensions of the Delphian lymph node were highly correlated with the progress of autoimmune thyroiditis. Evaluating the Delphian lymph nodes might prevent missing a diagnosis of autoimmune thyroiditis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tugrul
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ormeci
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mukaddes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Çolakoğulları
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.
authors.forename: İsrafil
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Orhan
keywords: Local Lymph Node Assay; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color