Imaging of cervical lymph nodes in head and neck cancer: The basics

Abstract

Imaging can identify pathologie cervical adenopathy in a significant number of patients with head and neck cancer who have no palpable adenopathy on physical examination. This artide reviews nocial classification, drainage pattems of different head and neck cancers, various cross-sectional imaging features of metastatic lymph nodes from head and neck cancer, nodal staging, and certain features like extracapsular spread and carotid and vertebral invasion that the radiologist should know because they have therapeutic and prognostic implications. New imaging techniques and the role of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging in recurrent disease are discussed