AUTHOR=Tan Xiao-Qu , Qian Lin-Xue , Zhao Jun-Feng , Sun Peng-Fei , Li Qing-Qing , Feng Ruo-Xuan 

TITLE=Diagnostic Model of Superficial Lymph Nodes Based on Clinical History and Ultrasound Findings: A Prospective Cohort Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2021.756878

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2021.756878

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objectives</title><p>Differentiation of benign and malignant changes in lymph nodes is extremely important. We aimed to identify the ultrasound and clinical diagnostic criteria permitting this differentiation.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Clinical and ultrasound data were collected at Beijing Friendship Hospital from May 2019 to November 2020. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed using statistical methods, and a mathematical model was established to evaluate benign and malignant lymph nodes.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>A total of 1343 LNs (person) with US‐guided core needle or fine needle biopsy (CNB or FNB) were evaluated in the analysis. Variables with a high predictive power were sex (odds ratio, OR: 3.360, <italic>p</italic>&lt;0.001), short diameter (OR: 4.660, <italic>p</italic>&lt;0.001), short/long diameter (S/L) ratio (OR: 1.515, P=0.007), border (OR: 1.626, <italic>p</italic>=0.002), cortex echogenicity (OR: 2.089, P&lt;0.001), fusion (OR: 2.313, <italic>p</italic>=0.002), vascularity (peripheral vascularity, OR: 3.424, <italic>p</italic>&lt;0.001; mixed vascularity, OR: 4.127, <italic>p</italic>&lt;0.001), and medical history (fever/local pain, OR: 0.316, <italic>p</italic>&lt;0.001; tumor history in the drainage area, OR: 4.595, <italic>p</italic>&lt;0.001; both, OR: 5.554, <italic>p</italic>&lt;0.001). The cut-off score on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis using these eight variables was 2.5. The largest area under the ROC curve (Az) value was 82.3% (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.805–0.851), and the sensitivity (79.4%), specificity (72.3%), and accuracy (74.8%) were higher than those for nearly all the single indices.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>The model of combination of ultrasound and clinical symptoms can preliminarily evaluate the benign and malignant of lymph nodes.</p></sec>