Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Lymph Node Overview
Lymph Nodes Differential Diagnosis
| Inflammatory | Infectious | Regional metastases |
| Reactive nodes | Viral upper respiratory infection | Squamous cell carcinoma |
| Castleman disease | Tuberculosis | NHL |
| Kimura disease | Atypical Mycobacterium species | Melanoma |
| Kikuchi disease | Cat-scratch disease | Salivary neoplasms |
| Rosai-Dorfman disease | HIV adenopathy | Thyroid carcinoma |
| Inflammatory pseudotumor | Malignant primary tumor | Lung cancer |
| Hodgkin lymphoma | ||
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) | Systemic metastases |
Summary Thoughts: Cervical Nodes
Cervical lymph nodes can be classified based on anatomic distribution or surgical levels used for neck dissection.
The key decision when assessing a lymph node is deciding whether it is abnormal . Traditionally, size criteria have been employed, but a multifactorial approach (size, homogeneity, morphology, enhancement, and borders) is more useful.
If a lymph node appears abnormal, one must decide whether it harbors inflammation (reactive), infection (suppurative), or tumor [usually squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa)]. This distinction is often quite difficult, especially with uncommon inflammatory diseases.
It is important for radiologists to understand the typical patterns of nodal spread of disease. Particular attention must be paid to subclinical lymph nodes (e.g., retropharyngeal).
You're Reading a Preview
Become a Clinical Tree membership for Full access and enjoy Unlimited articles
If you are a member. Log in here
