ASSESSMENT OF CERVICAL METASTATIC DISEASE

Ultrasound of the neck is, when combined with ultrasound-guided fine-n eedle aspiration biopsy (UGFNAB), an accurate test for nodal disease i n patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). The combin ed procedure is characterized by high sensitivity and specificity. The refore, the technique is suited for demonstrating, detecting and exclu ding cervical metastatic disease. This paper will discuss how to inter pret the diagnostic information supplied by US-UGFNAB. It is concluded that US-UGFNAB is a promising concept of methodic use of both an imag ing technique and cytopathologic examination in the evaluation of pati ents with HNSCC. Application of the combined procedure may produce a m ore accurate classification of these patients and may change indicatio ns for therapeutic and elective neck treatment. In addition, US-UGFNAB may prove to be valuable during follow-up of patients with HNSCC, in the accurate preoperative assessment of the carotid artery in patients with metastatic neck disease, and the detection of lymph nodes in pat ients with malignancies other than HNSCC.