Causes:
1-Reactive lymphadenopathy:
Young patient with lymph nodes less than 1 cm shows homogenous enhancement.
2-Lymphoma(non Hodgkin lymphoma):
Enlarged bulky lymph nodes with homogenous enhancement.
3-Malignant lymphadenopathy:
Enlarged(less than lymphoma in size) with heterogenous CT pattern and thick and irregular ring enhancement.
Metastatic nodes are the most common cause of lymphadenopathy in the neck.
Appears as enlarged node with size more than 10 mm plus central necrosis plus perinodal fat stranding.
Primaries from nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal carcinomas and thyroid one.
4-Inflammatory lymphadenopathy:
As malignant type but differs in enhancement where the ring enhancement shows thin and regular appearance with perinodal fat stranding.
Conclusion:
Lymph node size:
-Less than 1 cm, looks to the pattern of enhancement, if it is of no enhancement, this will be normal lymph nodes.
If it is of homogenous enhancement, this will be due to reactive lymphadenopathy.
-More than 1 cm in diameter:
If it is hugely enlarged and emulgated with homogenous enhancement, this will be lymphoma.
If it is enlarged and not emulgated with heterogenous or ring enhancement (irregular and nodular) with necrotic center, this will be due to metastases.
If it is enlarged and not emulgated with thin regular ring enhancement with necrotic center, this will be due to inflammation.
Conclusion:
Lymph node size:
-Less than 1 cm, looks to the pattern of enhancement, if it is of no enhancement, this will be normal lymph nodes.
If it is of homogenous enhancement, this will be due to reactive lymphadenopathy.
-More than 1 cm in diameter:
If it is hugely enlarged and emulgated with homogenous enhancement, this will be lymphoma.
If it is enlarged and not emulgated with heterogenous or ring enhancement (irregular and nodular) with necrotic center, this will be due to metastases.
If it is enlarged and not emulgated with thin regular ring enhancement with necrotic center, this will be due to inflammation.
No comments:
Post a Comment