PALPATION COMPARED WITH ULTRASOUND IN THE ASSESSMENT OF MALIGNANT CERVICAL LYMPH-NODES

This prospective study compares the results of pre-operative clinical examination and simple ultrasound examination of the neck in 18 patien ts with proven head and neck primary tumours and palpable cervical lym phadenopathy, who then underwent 21 radical neck dissections. Neck pal pation and ultrasound examination were compared with histological exam ination. Ultrasound did not add significantly to the information obtai nable by simple neck palpation in this group of patients.