Diagnostic efficacy of color Doppler ultrasound in evaluation of cervical lymphadenopathy.
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the efficacy of color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) in differentiating benign and malignant cervical lymph nodes by detecting differences in blood flow patterns.


METHODS
In this cross-sectional prospective study, 25 untreated patients with clinical evidence of cervical lymphadenopathy were evaluated. CDUS was performed for 80 cervical lymph nodes. The gray scale parameters of the lymph node and intranodal perfusion sites were the key CDUS features used to differentiate between reactive and metastatic lymph nodes. Histopathological confirmations were obtained and compared with the results of CDUS.


RESULTS
Initially, 53 cervical lymph nodes were evaluated by clinical examination. Twenty-seven additional lymph nodes (53 + 27 = 80) were discovered by CDUS evaluation. Gray scale parameters for lymph nodes such as size of lymph node, shape of lymph node, and presence or absence of hilum revealed highly significant results (P < 0.0001). Color Doppler flow signals revealed that central/hilar flow was characteristic for benign nodes whereas peripheral/mixed flow was characteristic for malignant nodes, the findings were highly significant (P < 0.0001). Gray scale and color Doppler features are used to differentiate benign and malignant nodes.


CONCLUSIONS
Within the limitations of this study, CDUS evaluation was found to be highly significant with a high sensitivity and specificity over clinical evaluation CDUS examination provides a prospect to reduce the need for biopsy/fine needle aspiration cytology in reactive nodes.
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Dental Studies and Technologies, Modinagar, Kadrabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Deepankar
D
Misra
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Dental Studies and Technologies, Modinagar, Kadrabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Sapna
S
Panjwani
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Dental Studies and Technologies, Modinagar, Kadrabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Shalu
S
Rai
Department of Oral Pathology, Institute of Dental Studies and Technologies, Modinagar, Kadrabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Akansha
A
Misra
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Dental Studies and Technologies, Modinagar, Kadrabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Mukul
M
Prabhat
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Prashant
P
Gupta
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Subrata K
SK
Talukder
Doppler color ultrasonography; histopathology; lymph node; lymphadenitis