Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Cervical Lymph Nodes

Abstract

There are about 200 lymph nodes in the neck, and lymph node enlargement can occur due to various diseases. Most cases of lymph node enlargement can be attributed to reactive lymph nodes due to an upper respiratory tract infection or inflammation of the head-neck area. However, lymph node enlargement can also occur due to viral or bacterial acute lymphadenitis, tuberculous lymphadenitis, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, malignant lymphoma, metastasis from other organs, etc. Therefore, for an accurate differential diagnosis, a comprehensive judgment must be made through the patient's past medical history, clinical symptoms, hematological findings, and imaging studies. Among imaging studies, ultrasonography is a widely used and valuable imaging modality in the evaluation of cervical lymph nodes due to its noninvasive nature, low cost, and high accuracy in detecting changes in the morphology and blood flow of the lymph nodes. It is an essential tool for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathy. Therefore, in this article, the ultrasonographic findings of normal cervical lymph nodes, inflammatory cervical lymph node enlargement, and cervical lymph node metastasis due to thyroid cancer are reviewed.

Keywords

• ultrasonography
• neck
• lymph node