Cervical ultrasound is the method of choice for the identification of lymph node metastases. Ultrasound can detect lesions as small as 4mm, and increased 50% in detecting recurrences smaller than 1cm1,2. Also proves to be useful in the evaluation of the cervical internal architecture and can even be combined with fine needle aspiration biopsy, allowing a single examination, the primary tumor and cervical metastases be evaluated.3,4,5,6 Differentiated malignant thyroid tumors have good prognosis, unlike medullary and anaplastic carcinomas. However, 5 - 40 % of patients...

A prospective study was conducted and we investigated 94 patients of postoperative thyroid cancer, determining ultrasonography characteristics of malignant lymph nodes, from February 2012 to September 2013 in the University State of São Paulo (USP). Institutional review board approval was obtained for this study. Ultrasound was held at E9 equipment - GE or Phillips iU22, equipped with a multifrequency linear probe 7-12 MHz, with the use of trapezoidal image. Ultrasonography of neck lymph nodes research of each of the patients included in this study was...

Microcalcifications, cortical vascularity and cystic degeneration were associated with regional lymph node recurrence in univariate analyses (p<0.05). The sensibility and specificity of microcalcifications were 47.3% and 85.7%, of peripheral vascularity were 69.1% and 83.3%, of cystic necrosis were 27.3% and 100%, respectively. We had 80 patients’ suspicious cervical lymph nodes, with some ultrasonographic characteristic of lymph node recurrence thyroid cancer. From these 80 patients with suspicious lymph nodes we had 22 patients with histologic confirmed recurrence. Twenty two patients with thyroid cancer recurrence were identified:...

The presence of microcalcifications, peripheral vascularity and cystic necrosis in lymph nodes by ultrasonography have a high specificity to detect recurrence cervical lymph nodes metastasis.

MRM MACHADO,Department of Radiology, University of São Paulo [email protected]; MC CHAMMAS, doctor of Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade of São Paulo (USP), Medical director of Service of Ultrasound (USP); MRTAVARES, doctor and professor of Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of São Paulo; GG CERRI, Chairman of Department of Radiology and Oncology of Faculdade de Medicina da University of São Paulo.

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