Benign versus Malignant Lymphadenopathy: The Usefulness of Color Doppler Sonography

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the vascular pattern of lymph nodes, and the usefulness of color Doppler sonogaphy indifferentiating benign from malignant superficial lymphadenopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six patientswere pathologically and clinically confirmed to be suffering from benign reactive lymphadenitis and tuberculosis(n=16) or lymphoma and malignant lymphadenitis (n=10). Lymph node shape was assessed by the ratio of longitudinaldiameter to transverse diameter(L/T), and patients were thus assigned to one of two groups : L/T >or =2, or L/Tor =2,and 3 L/T<2. while in nine of the ten malignant nodes, L/T<2 was noted. Among 16 benign reactive nodes, hilarvascularity was central in 13, eccentric in one, and absent in two. Among the ten malignant nodes, thecorresponding totals were nil, four, and Six. The hilar vascular pattern showed statistically significantdifferentiation between malignant and benign node (p<.05). Among 16 benign reactive nodes, 13 were grade 0, twowere grade I, and one was grade II, while among ten malignant nodes, two were grade 0 and eight were grade I. Onthe basis of vascular pattern, the difference between benign and malignant nodes was statistically significant(p<.05). CONCLUSION: L/T ratio<2, absent or eccentric hilar vascularity, and the presence of peripheralvascularity are suggestive of malignant lymph node. The shape of LN and pattern revealed by an analysis of nodalvascularity using color Doppler sonography are useful in differential diagnosis of benign and malignantlymphadenopathy.