SPIRAL CT FOR CERVICAL LYMPH-NODE ENLARGE MENT - EARLY CLINICAL-RESULTS

Spiral CT was performed before treatment in 35 patients with suspected cervical lymph node enlargement. By coronary and sagittal reconstruct ion it is possible to utilise the M/Q quotient which has become accept ed as the result of sonographic and MRI examinations. It is now possib le to obtain high diagnostic accuracy (97 %) for distinguishing betwee n reactive change from metastatic infiltration of lymph nodes (> 8 mm) by using CT. Using spiral CT with 5 mm table movement, three patients diagnosed as stage Nl by axial CT were shown to be N2b. This represen ts a highly sensitive and highly specific method of lymph node diagnos is. Further diagnostic improvement derives from the ability to relate the lymph nodes to surrounding tissues. Spiral CT is also suitable for defining other space occupying lesions, e. g., the exact extent of re tropharyngeal abscesses, abnormalities of the salivary glands or laryn gocoeles.