Sonographic assessment of cervical lymphadenopathy: Role of high‐resolution and color Doppler imaging

Abstract

Sonographic findings have a high accuracy in differentiating benign from malignant cervical lymph nodes. An ultrasound scan can be used as the first-line imaging tool in the diagnostic evaluation of cervical lymphadenopathy, especially in developing countries like India due to its ease, noninvasiveness, reproducibility, and cost effectiveness. It can also be used as an imaging tool for the guided aspirations. However, because of some overlapping in sonographic appearances of benign and malignant nodes, this modality may not have definite diagnostic values. But when combined with FNA, it has a very high sensitivity and specificity.