THE INCIDENCE OF MICROMETASTASES IN NECK DISSECTION SPECIMENS OBTAINED FROM ELECTIVE NECK DISSECTIONS

Although modern imaging techniques become more accurate for the assess ment of lymph node metastases in the neck as criteria and technology e volve, micrometastases remain occult with any technique. Even the rout ine histopathological examination of neck dissection specimens is unab le to detect all micrometastases. Because knowledge on the incidence o f micrometastases in the clinically NO neck might be of importance for decision making regarding elective treatment, a retrospective study o n 96 elective neck dissections was conducted. Meticulous histopatholog ical examination of the neck dissection specimens yielded 3092 lymph n odes of which 67 (2.2%) were tumor-positive. Twenty-six of these 67 ly mph node metastases were micrometastases. Of the 36 tumor-positive nec k dissection specimens, 21 contained micrometastases. In 9 tumor-posit ive specimens only micrometastases were found. This high incidence of micrometastases has important implications for the diagnostic work-up, the treatment, and histopathological examination of the NO neck.