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The Incidence of Micrometastases in Neck Dissection Specimens Obtained From Elective Neck Dissections
Author(s) -
van den Brekel Michiel W.M.,
van der Waal Isaäc,
Meijer Chris J.L.M.,
Freeman Jeremy L.,
Castelijns Jonas A.,
Snow Gordon B.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1097/00005537-199608000-00014
Subject(s) - medicine , occult , neck dissection , lymph node , incidence (geometry) , histopathological examination , dissection (medical) , radiology , lymph , pathology , carcinoma , physics , alternative medicine , optics
Although modern imaging techniques become more accurate for the assessment of lymph node metastases in the neck as criteria and technology evolve, micrometastases remain occult with any technique. Even the routine histopathological examination of neck dissection specimens is unable to detect all micrometastases. Because knowledge on the incidence of micrometastases in the clinically N0 neck might be of importance for decision making regarding elective treatment, a retrospective study on 96 elective neck dissections was conducted. Meticulous histopathological examination of the neck dissection specimens yielded 3092 lymph nodes of which 67 (2.2%) were tumor‐positive. Twenty‐six of these 67 lymph node metastases were micrometastases. Of the 36 tumor‐positive neck dissection specimens, 21 contained micrometastases. In 9 tumor‐positive specimens only micrometastases were found. This high incidence of micrometastases has important implications for the diagnostic work‐up, the treatment, and histopathological examination of the N0 neck.