Evaluation of axillary lymph nodes metastasis with spiral CT in patients with breast cancer

Objective: To investigate CT characteristics of axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) metastasis in patients with breast diseases. Methods: Fifty-six lymph nodes in thirty-eight patients with breast diseases were detected by using double row detector CT. Histopathologic correlation was performed. Results: Metastatic lymph nodes were 29 and non-metastatic nodes were 27. There were 22 metastatic and 22 non-metastatic lymph nodes respectively among 44 lymph nodes with maximum diameter greater than 10 mm. 25 lymph nodes were metastatic and 24 nodes were non-metastatic among 49 lymph nodes with minimum diameter greater than 5 mm. 21 metastatic and 1 non-metastatic lymph nodes had solid change. 7 out of 8 metastatic lymph nodes had irregular cortex in the presence of hilum, while only 2 out of 26 non-metastatic lymph nodes had irregular cortex. Conclusion: The metastasis of ALNs has poor correlation with its maximum or minimum diameter. The absence of the hila, irregular cortex, and adjacent fat tissue changes of the ALNs in patients with breast cancer are probably indicative of metastasis. Spiral CT is the modality of choice for the assessment of ALNs in patients with breast cancer. (authors)