The Correlation Between Clinical And Pathological Lymph Node Status In Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Background: The most significant factor affecting the prognosis of oral malignancies is lymph node metastasis; the existence of malignant lymph nodes reduces survival by 50%.

Methodology: every person with oral cancer had contrast-enhanced CECT of the neck and oral cavity after becoming initially evaluated for enlarging neck node. Following neck dissection, all lymph node levels were evaluated histopathologically, and all node features were documented in CECT.

Results: Of the 24 individuals in our investigation, 31 had clinically observed enlarged lymph nodes. A total of 90 enlarged lymph nodes, including 21 positive nodes, were detected by CECT. Only thirty-two of the 538 lymph nodes that were isolated in histopathology tested positive for malignancy.

Conclusions: The detection rate of enlarged lymph nodes is more with histopathology than radiological and clinical examination. In our study, 94% of lymph node enlargement was proven to be reactive, which shows more tumor- associated inflammation.