Incidence and patterns of retropharyngeal lymph node involvement in oropharyngeal carcinoma

Data regarding the incidence of retropharyngeal lymph node (RP LN) metastases in oropharyngeal cancer are limited due to the difficulty of surgical access [1] with pathological data based upon small series [2,3]. Imaging studies report a variable incidence (2 –21%) of RP LN metastases [4–11]. MRI is superior to CT for the detection of RP LNs [1,12,13]. 2-[Fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) is considered the most sensitive imaging modality for LN detection in head and neck cancers [14, 15], and has been found to increase diagnostic efficacy for RP LNs in combination with CT or MRI [10,16].
Source: Radiotherapy and Oncology - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research