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. 2023 Nov-Dec;51(9):1589-1595.
doi: 10.1002/jcu.23587. Epub 2023 Oct 26.

False-positive supraclavicular lymph node detected on chest computed tomography in oncology patients: Clinical implication based on subsequent neck ultrasonography and ultrasonography-guided tissue sampling

Yujin Jeong  1 , Eun Cho  1 , Hye Jin Baek  1   2 , Jeong Yoon Jang  3 , Kwang Ho Choi  4
Affiliations

False-positive supraclavicular lymph node detected on chest computed tomography in oncology patients: Clinical implication based on subsequent neck ultrasonography and ultrasonography-guided tissue sampling

Yujin Jeong et al. J Clin Ultrasound. 2023 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and clinical implications of false-positive supraclavicular lymph node (LN) detected on chest computed tomography (CT), using subsequent neck ultrasonography (US) and US-guided tissue sampling.

Methods: Among 172 patients with suspected supraclavicular LNs identified on CT, 87 underwent neck US or US-guided tissue sampling. Receiver operating characteristic curve and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the diagnostic performance of US and independent predictors of false-positive LNs.

Results: Among 87 patients, 49 (56.3%) were pathologically confirmed as metastases, 26 (29.9%) were negative for malignancy, and 12 (13.8%) had pseudolesions or schwannomas. The diagnostic indices were as follows: sensitivity, 91.8%; specificity, 92.3%; PPV, 95.7%; NPV, 85.7%; and accuracy, 92.0% (AUC = 0.921; 95% CI: 0.832-0.970, p < 0.001). The false-positive group had a higher mean age than the true-positive group (mean age, 69.8 ± 9.2 vs. 63.9 ± 9.8, p = 0.003). Logistic regression analyses revealed that age ≥ 65 years was the only independent predictor of false-positive LNs (OR = 4.391; 95% CI: 1.037-18.582; p = 0.044).

Conclusion: Subsequent US can be helpful for evaluating suspicious supraclavicular LNs detected on CT to establish appropriate management, especially in older patients.

Keywords: computed tomography; metastasis; supraclavicular lymph node; ultrasonography; ultrasonography-guided tissue sampling.

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References

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