Differentiation of Lymphadenopathy in Different Forms of Carcinoma with Doppler Sonography

Abstract

AIM: The aim of the study was to show whether it may be possible to characterize malignant nodes of different aetiologies with Doppler imaging. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and nasopharyneal carcinoma (NPC) were used as the models.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was undertaken using colour Doppler sonography in 60 enlarged peripheral lymph nodes of 34 patients with either lymphoma or NPC. The vascular distribution, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), resistivity index (RI) and the pulsatility index (PI) of the largest node on each side of the patient were investigated.RESULTS: The vascular distribution was predominantly ‘capsular and central’ or ‘capsular’ in 57 nodes, consistent with previous descriptions, but there was no significant difference in the mean PSV (lymphoma: 20.0cm/s; NPC: 21.86cm/s;P>0.05) and mean EDV (lymphoma: 5.95cm/s; NPC: 5.07cm/s;P>0.05). However, significant differences were shown in the mean RI (lymphoma: 0.71; NPC: 0.81;P<0.05) and mean PI (lymphoma: 1.43; NPC: 1.88;P<0.05) of these two groups of lymph nodes.CONCLUSIONS: There is significant difference in the Doppler waveform between malignant nodes affected by lymphoma or NPC, suggesting that further differentiation of malignant nodes may be possible.Ho, S. S. Y. (2000).Clinical Radiology55, 627–631.