RESUMO
Objective:To assess the potential or limitation of MRI for demontrating the pathological cervicallymphnodes. Method :A prospective diagnostic study on cervical lymphnode metastasis from laryngeal carcinomawas performed for 19 cases undergone neck dissection (5 cases undergone bilateral neck dissection, 24 specimensof neck dissection were collected in total). With pathological findings as the criterion, sensitivity and specificityand accuracy were calculated for palpation and MRI examination of all patients. Result:MRI had obviously highersensitivity specificity and accuracy than palpation. Besides the changes in size and shape of the metastaticlymphnodes, the intensity of MRI inside the metastic lymphnodes was showed as mixed hypo-isointensity inT1WI and hyper intensity in T2WI. Conclusion:MRI examination was accurate in detecting cervical lymphnodemetastasis and could image occult lymphnodes which are inaccessible on palpation. Thus, MRI will probably playan important role in the evaluation of malignant lymphnode metastasis.