Conventional ultrasound combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound has high value in the differential diagnosis of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis and lymphoma
LI Chunli
LI Yazhou
SONG Yu
XU Feiyun
WANG Xinfang
ZHANG Pingyang
Abstract：Objective To assess the diagnostic efficacy of conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in distinguishing between cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis and lymphoma.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the imaging characteristics of 50 confirmed cases of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis and 31 cases of lymphoma,utilizing both imaging techniques at Nanjing Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital Affilicated with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to December 2022.The diagnostic value of various indicators for distinguishing between the two conditions and the diagnostic performance of the two imaging modalities were analyzed.Results The results indicated that conventional ultrasound detected smaller maximum long and short diameter in lymph nodes of the tuberculosis group compared to the lymphoma group,with a prevalence of cystic echoes and peripheral blood flow.Internal linear or reticular echoes and mixed blood flow were less common in lymph nodes in the tuberculosis group compared to the lymphoma group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Contrast-enhanced ultrasound revealed that lymph nodes in the tuberculosis group demonstrated centripetal,heterogeneous enhancement,with areas of non-enhancement,while those in the lymphoma group exhibited non-centripetal,homogeneous enhancement,without areas of non-enhancement,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and the two imaging modalities combined in diagnosing tuberculosis were 90.0%、80.6%、86.4%,94.0%、87.1%、91.4%,respectively,which were higher than those of conventional ultrasound at 80.0%,71.0%and 76.5%.Conclusion The sonographic characteristics of patients with cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis and lymphoma show significant similarities and differences based on conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound.The combined application of both has higher diagnostic and differential diagnostic value.
Keywords：conventional ultrasoundcontrast-enhanced ultrasoundcervical tuberculous lymphadenitislymphoma
Publication Date：2025-02-27
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 167-172 )