[Detection and assessment of cervical lymph node metastases in head-neck tumors. A comparison of methods].

From 1984 to 1987, seventy-two patients with squamous cell carcinomas involving oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx and cervical lymph nodes, who underwent surgery, were examined to determine the value of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR), high-resolution real-time sonography (US) and palpation in preoperative staging of cervical nodal metastases. The clinical staging was compared with the microscopic findings in the neck specimens and with operative reports. For the identification and description of cervical lymph node metastases, US and CT are more valuable than MR and palpation. In comparison to CT, however, US has advantages in most cervical areas as a dynamic method with variable representation of interesting regions. False positive errors are related to confusion with inflammatory nodes in all examinations. Metastatic infiltration of surrounding tissue especially of neck vessels, are best recognised by means of US and MR. However, the high rates of sensitivity and low rates of specificity of all methods point to the possibility of a great number of false positive errors in demonstrating tissue infiltration.