Evaluation of Mesenteric Lymph Nodes in a Pediatric Population with Mesenteric Lymphadenitis Using Superb Microvascular Imaging.

Abstract

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate superb microvascular imaging (SMI) as an adjunctive imaging method to evaluate mesenteric lymph nodes in children with mesenteric lymphadenitis compared with healthy children. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective study compared children with mesenteric lymphadenitis (n=27) and healthy children (n=30). Lymph node size was determined using grayscale ultrasonography and parameters of lymph node vascularity were compared using color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and SMI. The diagnostic performance of ultrasound (US), US combined with SMI, and US combined with CDFI were compared. RESULTS Lymph nodes from children with mesenteric lymphadenitis (n=77) and normal lymph nodes (n=84) were evaluated by SMI, which showed that the least diameter of lymph nodes in cases of mesenteric lymphadenitis was 0.58±0.15 mm and of normal mesenteric lymph nodes was 0.47±0.08 mm (p<0.001). SMI identified 92.6% of abnormal mesenteric lymph nodes while CDFI detected 85.2%. US combined with SMI had the highest sensitivity (81.5%), and specificity (78.9%) compared with US alone (sensitivity, 63.0%; specificity, 64.9%), and compared with US combined with CDFI (sensitivity, 74.1%; specificity, 75.4%). US combined with SMI and US combined with CDFI achieved the same specificity (76.7%), which was higher than that of US alone (66.7%). CONCLUSIONS SMI was superior to color Doppler flow imaging in evaluating the microvasculature in lymphadenopathy in mesenteric lymphadenitis. SMI may be used as an adjunct to grayscale ultrasonography to assist in identifying mesenteric lymphadenopathy in pediatric patients.

• Authors: Dao-Ming Zu, Ling-Ling Feng, Lei Zhang, Su-Li Ma, Yi-Cheng Zhu
• Journal: Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research (Med Sci Monit) Vol. 25 Pg. 5336-5342 (Jul 18 2019) ISSN: 1643-3750 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 31318849 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Child
• Child, Preschool
• China
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Female
• Humans
• Lymph Nodes (drug effects, physiopathology)
• Male
• Mesenteric Lymphadenitis (diagnostic imaging, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Mesentery (metabolism)
• Microvessels (diagnostic imaging)
• Retrospective Studies
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Ultrasonography (methods)
• Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color (methods)