ORIGINAL ARTICLE Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences/ Volume 2/ Issue 41/ October 14, 2013 Page 4891 EFFICACY EVALUATION OF ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY IN PALPABLE NECK MASSES Vijai Pratap 1 , S.K. Jain 2 , A.K. Choudhary 3 , Om Prakash 4 HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Vijai Pratap, SK Jain, AK Choudhary, Om Prakash. DzEfficacy evaluation of ultrasonography and computerized tomography in palpable neck massesdz. Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences 2013; Vol. 2, Issue 41, October 14; Page: 4891-4898. ABSTRACT: There is wide range of pathological neck masses from benign inflammatory conditions to frankly malignant lesions, which may be congenital or acquired. These neck mass may be an incidental finding on the general physical examination. The close proximity of various structures in the neck creates a diagnostic problem. The precise anatomical location and imaging appearances are important for accurate diagnosis and formulating the differential diagnoses of neck masses. Ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) enable radiological characterization of normal and diseased structures in the neck in ways that were previously not possible. With the advent of high frequency ultrasound (US) probes, superficial structures are visualized very conveniently and with great spatial solution. Ability of CT to give tissue attenuation values gives a fair insight into the nature of the lesion. AIMS & OBJECTIVE: In this study we planned to evaluate palpable neck masses with US and CT, and comparing their efficacy. MATERIAL & METHOD: The present study was conducted in the Department of Radio-diagnosis, TMMC & RC, TMU, Moradabad. Patients under study were referred from the department of Surgery, ENT, Medicine and Pediatrics. Patients included for study were evaluated by Clinical and Radiological examination .The age range in the present study was from 3 to 80 years and total number of patients were 40 (including both male and females). RESULT: 1. On examination distribution of lesions was found to be Inflamatory- 17.5%, Developmental- 7.5%, Thyroid masses-30%, Mesenchymal-10%, Neural 5%, Vascular-5%, Bone5%, Lymph nodes-10%, & Salivary gland mass-10%. 2. The Male to Female ratio in the present study = 1.22:1 CONCLUSION: Ultrasound complimented coupled with Computed Tomography is of immense help in the diagnosis and better management of palpable neck masses. KEY WORDS: Ultrasonography, Computed tomography, Malignancy. INTRODUCTION: A palpable neck mass is a commonly encountered clinical problem. Detailed clinical history and physical examination may clinch the clinical diagnosis. Imaging is increasingly performed to confirm the clinical diagnosis and assess the anatomical extent of involvement before any form of treatment. Although there are overlapping features, differentiation between the lesions can usually be made based on specific imaging findings and relevant clinical information. High-resolution ultrasound is an ideal initial imaging investigation for neck tumors (1). It is readily available, relatively inexpensive, and does not involve ionizing radiation. Modern ultrasound machines equipped with high-resolution transducers provide excellent spatial and contrast resolution. Ultrasound also has the unique advantage over other imaging techniques in providing reliable, real-time guidance for fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) or core biopsy. Cross-sectional imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT), serve a supplementary role in work-up of neck masses. Multi detector CT allows precise preoperative anatomical localization, particularly for more deep-seated and