Characterization of Cervical Lymph Nodes with 16 Slice Multislice Computed Tomography and Histopathologic Correlation

[LANGUAGE= "English"] Purpose: The presence of cervical metastatic lymph nodes is the most important prognostic factor for head and neck cancers. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of multislice CT in characterization of cervical lymph nodes.Materials and Methods: Two hundred and seventeen lymph nodes from 59 patients who were diagnosed as head and neck cancer and had a medical history of neck dissection were examined retrospectively on CT. The results were correlated with histopathology. Criteria used in lymph node characterization was minimal axial diameter, maximal axial diameter, shape, central necrosis, extracapsular spread.Results: Minimal axial diameter is a more valid criteria than maximal axial diameter. Shape had a sensitivity of %74 and a specificity of %47. Sensitivity and specificity of central necrosis was %48 and %98, respectively. Extracapsular spread had a sensitivity of %15 and a specificity of %99. Sensitivity and specificity of CT was %81 and %90, respectively.Conclusion: With high specificity, CT had satisfactory results for characterization of cervical lymph nodes.