EVALUATION OF VASCULAR PATTERNS OF CERVICAL LYMPH-NODES WITH POWER DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY

Power Doppler sonography was used to evaluate 105 benign and malignant cervical lymph nodes in 60 patients. Three main vascular patterns wer e identified: type I (single vascular pole), type II (hypertrophic vas cular pole), and type III (mainly peripheral vascularity). The first o ne was related to chronic inflammation (sensitivity 85%, specificity 9 0%); the second and third were related, to a lesser extent, to acute i nflammation and neoplasm (sensitivity 68% and 55%, specificity 47% and 91%, respectively). The authors conclude that the sensitivity and spe cificity of power Doppler sonography cannot compete with those of fine -needle aspiration biopsy in the diagnosis of adenopathy. (C) 1997 Joh n Wiley & Sons, Inc.