caa a22 4500 475849027 CHVBK 20180406123923.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170329e20000901xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s004059900210 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s004059900210 Color-coded duplex sonography of the cervical lymph nodes: improved differential diagnostic assessment after administration of the signal enhancer SH U 508A (Levovist)® [Elektronische Daten] [D. Rickert, P. Jecker, V. Metzler, T. Lehmann, E. Ernst, M. Westhofen] The vascularity of cervical lymph nodes can be documented by means of color-coded duplex sonography and malignant and benign lymph nodes distinguished on the basis of typical patterns of vascularity. However, not all intranodal vessels can be visualized by color-coded duplex sonography, and minute vessels are detectable only after the administration of a signal enhancer. This also makes it possible to assess the morphology of cervical lymph nodes that are inaccessible on plain sonography. In the present study we examined acute and chronic inflammatory and metastatic lymph nodes as well as malignant lymphomas to determine the extent to which a specific pattern of vascularity can be detected with color-coded duplex sonography after the injection of Levovist® as a signal enhancer. In addition, digital image processing was used to quantify the vascularity detected in relation to the cross-sectional area of the lymph nodes as seen at sonography and to determine whether there are any differences in lymph node types as regards an increase in the detection of vascularity. After injection of the marker a typical pattern of vascularity could be assigned to all lymph nodes examined and differences shown in quantifying vascularity: This increase was greatest in the acutely inflamed lymph nodes (36.0 ± 5.0%) and smallest in lymph nodes with chronic inflammation (2.3 ± 1.3%). These findings show that cervical lymph nodes of varying origin differ by virtue of their pattern of vascularity, with increased vascularity detectable after administration of a signal enhancer. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2000 Key words Color-coded duplex sonography nationallicence Cervical lymph node pathology nationallicence Lymph node vascularity nationallicence Signal enhancer nationallicence Rickert D. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University of Aachen, Germany, DE aut Jecker P. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical School, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55101 Mainz, Germany Tel.: +49-6131-172456, Fax: +49-6131-175541 e-mail: jecker@hno.klinik.uni-mainz.de, DE aut Metzler V. Institute for Medical Information, University of Aachen, Germany, DE aut Lehmann T. Institute for Medical Information, University of Aachen, Germany, DE aut Ernst E. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University of Aachen, Germany, DE aut Westhofen M. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University of Aachen, Germany, DE aut https://doi.org/10.1007/s004059900210 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s004059900210 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Rickert D. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University of Aachen, Germany, DE aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Jecker P. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical School, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55101 Mainz, Germany Tel.: +49-6131-172456, Fax: +49-6131-175541 e-mail: jecker@hno.klinik.uni-mainz.de, DE aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Metzler V. Institute for Medical Information, University of Aachen, Germany, DE aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Lehmann T. Institute for Medical Information, University of Aachen, Germany, DE aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Ernst E. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University of Aachen, Germany, DE aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Westhofen M. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University of Aachen, Germany, DE aut Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer