الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The prevalence of neck lymphadenopathy in thoracic disease manifesting with mediastinal lymph nodes is not known. Neck LN biopsy provides less invasive diagnostic procedure with prognostic implications.
The study aimed to prospectively assess prevalence of cervical LN in suspected thoracic malignancy and sarcoidosis, the yield from cervical LN biopsy of suspicious nodes when routine neck ultrasound (NUS) and sampling is conducted by respiratory physicians and the saving in time to diagnostic test and number of more invasive diagnostic procedures avoided.
The study ran over a 6-month period, NUS was performed for all patients (18 years or older) admitted with undiagnosed lung lesions with or without mediastinal lymphadenopathy at Alexandria Main University Hospital. Cases with suspicious LNs had undergone biopsy of these pathological LNs.
Over the 24 weeks 103 patients were screened (mean age 59±11) years, 75% males). Suspicious LN were present in 41 case (prevalence of 39.8%); FNA and core biopsies done in 26 patients. Median short axis diameter of sampled LNs was 10 [8-12] mm. The diagnostic yield was 24/26 (92%). The diagnosis was lung cancer in 12 cases. 6 cases showed granuloma, 6 cases lymphoma, 2 cases normal lymphoid tissue.
So in conclusion routine NUS and LN biopsy by the respiratory physicians provides less invasive and timely diagnostic modality in substantial proportion of patients with thoracic disease.