• Jiancheng Li, Shanshan Chen, and Guangying Zhu.
• Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Provincial Clinical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
• Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2018 Feb 1; 64 (2): 170-174.

ObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic criteria of mediastinal lymph node metastasis (MLNM) in esophageal carcinoma (EC) by comparing the lymph node sizes measured by computed tomography (CT) and obtained by postoperative pathological examination.MethodA total of 305 EC patients were selected. MLNM location, shortest diameter and number were investigated one week before surgery, and then compared with their pathological findings.ResultsThe receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that the minimum diameters of MLNM in the thoracic cavity was 8 mm (area under curve [AUC] = 0.766, Youden index = 0.424), 5 mm in supraclavicular fossa (AUC = 0.785, Youden index = 0.494), 6 mm in tracheoesophageal groove (AUC = 0.755, Youden index = 0.405); the sensitivity was increased significantly, and the Youden index was increased significantly when compared with 10 mm.ConclusionThe shortest diameter of diagnostic criteria of lymph nodes in EC could be less than 10 mm on CT.

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