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Correlation between tumor consistency and cervical metastasis in tongue carcinoma
Author(s) -
Ogura Ichiro,
Amagasa Teruo,
Miyakura Takeshi
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0347(200005)22:3<229::aid-hed4>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - tongue , medicine , consistency (knowledge bases) , lymph node metastasis , significant difference , basal cell , lymph node , carcinoma , correlation , metastasis , tongue neoplasm , negative correlation , cervical carcinoma , pathology , cancer , mathematics , cervical cancer , geometry
Background The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between the tumor consistency and cervical lymph node metastasis in tongue carcinoma. Methods Fifty‐three patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue were examined with an instrument capable of measuring consistency. These cases were compared in relation to TN classification, pathologic status of nodes, and consistency. Results The mean values of consistency in tongue carcinoma were 19.7 ± 2.9 g, 13.6 ± 3.7 g, 27.4 ± 4.5 g, and 21.2 ± 6.7 g, corresponding to pathologically positive node group (PN[+]) in T1, pathologically negative node group (PN[−]) in T1, PN(+) in T2, and PN(−) in T2, respectively. Difference in consistency between PN(+) and PN(−) was significant (T1: p < .01, T2: p < .05). In the N0 patients, difference in consistency between PN(+) and PN(−) was also significant ( p < .01). Conclusions We suggest that quantitative evaluation of tumor consistency would be useful in determining whether selective neck dissections can safely be omitted in some patients. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 22: 229–233, 2000.