J Korean Soc Radiol.  2012 Jul;67(1):7-12.

Ultrasound Diagnosis for Retrojugular Lymphadenopathy in the Patient Having a History of Total Thyroidectomy due to Thyroid Malignancy

• Nam SM
• Kim DW

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to assess the accuracy of ultrasound (US) diagnosis for retrojugular lymphadenopathy in patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy, due to thyroid malignancy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
During a follow-up period after total thyroidectomy, due to known thyroid malignancy, 41 patients underwent US diagnosis and US-guided fine-needle aspiration for retrojugular lymphadenopathy. Each lymphadenopathy was prospectively classified by a single radiologist into 1 of 3 diagnostic categories: "benign", "indeterminate for malignancy", and "malignant". Based on the cytohistopathology result, thyroglobulin tittering, and sonographic follow-up, the adequacy of US diagnosis for retrojugular lymphadenopathy was assessed.
RESULTS
Of the 41 retrojugular lymphadenopathies, malignant (n = 25) and benign (n = 16) lymphadenopathy were finally confirmed. Excluding 15 lymph nodes with indeterminate US diagnosis, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, accuracy, and false positive and negative rates of US diagnosis were 100%, 66.7%, 95.8%, 100%, 96.2%, 0%, and 10%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the incidence of retrojugular lymphadenopathy, according to age, sex, and location (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
In the patient with a history of total thyroidectomy, due to thyroid malignancy, US diagnosis for retrojugular lymphadenopathy showed a high accuracy.

MeSH Terms

Biopsy, Fine-Needle
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Incidence
Lymph Nodes
Lymphatic Diseases
Prospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity
Thyroglobulin
Thyroid Gland
Thyroidectomy
Thyroglobulin

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