Mediastinal lymph nodes demonstrated by mediastinal sonography: Activity marker in patients with cystic fibrosis

Purpose. To evaluate the potential diagnostic role of mediastinal sonograph y in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), we screened the mediastinum of adu lt CF patients with and without signs of infection and healthy controls. Methods. Fifty-four consecutive adult patients with CF and 53 healthy volun teers underwent high-resolution mediastinal sonography. The paratracheal re gion and aorticopulmonary window of each subject were examined for lymph no des. Each patient was screened for clinical signs of infection. Results. Lymph nodes were detectable in the mediastinum of 39 of 50 CF pati ents (78%); the mean total lymph node volume was 1.5 +/- 1.7 cm(3). Lymph n odes were detectable in the mediastinum of 31 of 50 controls (62%); the mea n total lymph node volume in this group was 0.3 +/- 0.3 cm(3) (p < 0.001). In the 30 CF patients with signs of infection, the mean total lymph node vo lume was larger (2.0 +/- 1.8 cm(3)) than in the 20 CF patients without sign s of infection (0.7 +/- 0.9 cm(3); p = 0.002). Conclusions. These results indicate that lymph node volume determination by high-resolution mediastinal sonography may help assess inflammatory activi ty in patients with CF. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.