Lymphangitis Carcinomatosa in Neck Soft Tissue: Computed Tomography Findings With Emphasis on Differentiation From Cellulitis

Objective Lymphangitis carcinomatosa (LC) is a rare form of metastasis. The purposes of this study were to evaluate computed tomography (CT) findings associated with LC in neck soft tissue and to determine those that were useful in distinguishing LC from cellulitis. Methods Contrast-enhanced CT images of 26 patients with pathologically confirmed LC (n = 5) and clinically proven cellulitis (n = 21) were reviewed retrospectively. The following CT findings were evaluated and compared between the 2 groups: subcutaneous fat infiltration, enlargement of muscle, thick irregular enhancement of the superficial cervical fascia, grouping of micronodules, focal intramuscular enhancement, localized fluid collection, and nodular skin thickening. Results Thick irregular enhancement of the superficial cervical fascia (80.0% vs 0%, P
Source: Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography - Category: Radiology Tags: Neuroimaging: Head and Neck Source Type: research