European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Background: A palpable neck mass is a commonly encountered clinical problem. They vary in etiology, pathology, and prognosis due to the complicated anatomy and physiology. This study was done to detect the effectiveness of high-resolution ultrasonography and computed tomography imaging in detecting neck masses.
Aim and Objectives:
1. To assess the utility of High-Resolution Ultrasonography and Computed Tomography imaging in the evaluation of neck masses.
2. To study mass lesions under the following headings- Location, Size and extent of the mass, relation to surrounding structures, internal mass characteristics that are benign or malignant.
Material and methods: The hospital-based prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Radio diagnosis & Imaging, Muzaffarnagar Medical College, U.P. for eighteen months, with twelve months for data collection and six months for data analysis. A total of 40 patients of varied age groups presenting with a clinically palpable neck mass who underwent both USG and CT were studied.
Results: The maximum number of patients was 41-50 years old (28%), followed by 21-30 years (12.5%). Of the total cases (40), non-nodal masses were 22 (55%), and nodal masses were 18 (45%). The most common pathology in the present study was lymph nodal mass of aerodigestive malignancies, noted in 13 cases (32.5%), and followed by thyroid mass, noted in 12 cases (30%).
Conclusion: High-resolution sonography is valuable modality for the diagnostic evaluation of neck masses in every age group. It is a simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive diagnostic tool. It provides accurate and reproducible results. It can be used as a first-line modality for evaluating cervical soft tissue masses in many clinical conditions, especially in young and pediatric populations. CT ensures accurate anatomical localization and lesion characterization in benign lesions. It is helpful in staging malignant tumours and provides essential information about the tumour extent that directly affects the surgical approach necessary for curative resection.