飯塚 益生, 長島 道夫, 川満 富裕, 岡村 経一, 青柳 和彦, 木村 信良, 三島 好雄

Masuo Iizuka, Michio Nagashima, Tomihiro Kawamitsu, Kyoichi Okamura, Kazuhiko Aoyagi, Nobuyoshi Kimura, Yoshio Mishima

東京医科歯科大学第二外科

Second Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University

キーワード : ultrasound, neck masses, malignant lymphoma, neurofibroma

　Twenty patients with neck masses, except thyroid and salivatory tissues were scanned by ultrasound. In all cases, diagnosis was confirmed surgically and was compared with ultrasonographic findings. There were three cystic tumors, including thyroglossal cyst, thymic cyst and neurinoma. The remaining 17 were solid, consisting of non, spesific lymphadenitis, tuberculous lymphadenitis, malignant lymphoma, neurofibroma, cervical node metastasis and so on.
　In cervical lymphnodes, metastases appeared as irregular strong echo with acoustic shadow, while others, including malignant lymphomas, appeared as low echo level masses with evident surfaces. Three neuro- fibromas appeared as low echogenicity with micronodular strong echo. Though ultrasonography can charac- tenze a mass as to its cystic or solid nature, it cannot predict the histological findings. Further experiences would be helpful in revealing the nature of these lesions.