Search

The results of X-ray examination of 25 (2.8%) out of 899 patients were analyzed. The changes of their neck mass were due to the conditions of non-tumoral and non-inflammatory nature. These states were not always clinically clear and were not infrequently considered as a neoplastic process. The causes of them can include developmental anomaly of neck organs, post-radiation and postoperative alterations, atherosclerosis, degenerative-dystrophic alterations in the cervical portion of the vertebral column etc. To establish the character of the neck mass changes it is necessary to perform a complex radiation examination, its first and sometimes the only stage being USI. Choice of the following methods (CT, MRT and so on) depends on the results of USI and the clinical picture.

Neck tumors may be caused by a variety of both inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions in organs and tissues. US and CT are successfully used to detect neck pathology but misdiagnosis still occurs. To analyze the situation, the data on 124 patients with tumors, cysts, inflammatory lesions and metastasis (after surgery and radiotherapy) were evaluated. The two categories of factors were identified: (1) poor quality of US and CT images due to anatomical peculiarities, thick layers of subcutaneous fatty tissue, deep location of lesions, and scars and edema produced by previous surgery and radiotherapy. As far as CT is concerned, imperfections may be due to artifacts and insignificant difference between tumor and normal tissue densities; (2) misinterpretation of images due to tumor and salivary gland merging to form one block, similarity of outlines of malignant and benign tumors, cysts and cyst-like metastases, neoplastic and inflammatory lesions. The ways of improving the quality of US and CT images are suggested. In particular, FNAB should be used to differentiate between malignant and benign tumors.