Abstract
Objectives:The aim of the study was to assess whether there was any relation between age, gender and body mass index (BMI) and nodal forms and vascular type in healthy Turkish adults.Study Design:Three neck areas in 25 wholesome patients who were aged from 21 to 58 years, were assessed by gray-scale and color doppler ultrasonography. Ultrasonographic examinations were performed using an ALOKA Prosound Alpha 6 (Hitachi Aloka Medical Systems, Tokyo, Japan) and the images were obtained with a 7.2 MHz linear array transducer. Hajek’s categorization of cervical lymph nodes for sonographic analysis was used. The ultrasonographic characteristics like size, shape, short axis/long axis ratio (S/L), hilum were evaluated. Ultrasonographic examinations of upper cervical, submandibular and submental lymph nodes were carried out and recorded.Results:The mean age of patients was 31.84±12.80 years. The ratios of lymph nodes with avascular pattern were 96% for the upper cervical lymph area, 92% for the submandibular area and 96% for the submental area. The lowest and highest ratios of short to long axis diameter (S/L) were calculated as 0.18 and 0.66 in all areas. Most normal nodes in the study were oval with an S/L ratio of less than 0.5.Conclusion:Normal cervical lymph nodes are oval, with an unsharp border and an echogenic hilum but no relation between the age, gender and BMI. Also ultrasonography is an applicable imaging modality for the examination of cervical lymph nodes. However, the deficiency in the number of patients might not allow to generalise our findings to the general populations.
Highlights
Cervical lymph nodes consist of lymphoid tissue and lymphatic drainage sites of the oral cavity and located along the lymphatic vessels in the neck [1]
The cervical lymph nodes grouped into seven levels using the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) classification
The ratios of short to long axis diameter (S/L) in right and left cervical nodes were calculated as 0.21-0.64 mm and 0.22-0.46 mm in right and left cervical nodes, respectively
Summary
Cervical lymph nodes consist of lymphoid tissue and lymphatic drainage sites of the oral cavity and located along the lymphatic vessels in the neck [1]. The cervical lymph nodes grouped into seven levels using the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) classification. This classification is generally used by surgeons and oncologists but not specific for ultrasonographic examination [3]. Hajek et al [5] identified an alternative classification for ultrasonographic analysis of cervical nodes. In this classification, the nodes were grouped into eight areas by their position in the neck. The nodes were grouped into eight areas by their position in the neck It should not be used for staging of cancers which is based on the AJCC classification [3]
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