Abstract
Acillary lymph nodes of 50 breast cancer patients were examined by ultrasonography (US) preoperatively and those findings were analyzed and compared with histological ones of the metastases.
Axillar dissections were performed to examine metastases histologically.
Metastatic lymph nodes were detected as definitely lower echoic lesions compared with fatty tissue with distinct or sometimes a little vague margin.
Results (US/palpation) were; 0.80/0.50 in sensitivity, 0.87/0.93 in specificity, and 0.84/0.76 in accuracy.
US showed a higher sensitivity but a lower specificity compared with palpation method. In addition, US could detect 6 cases of positive lymph nodes for which palpation failed to find.
From these findings US can be thought an available preoperative diagnostic method with fewer false-negative in detecting axillar metastasis of breast cancer.
