Lymphadenopathy was common, but only 46 patients had lymph nodes greater than 1 cm. Enhancement characteristics of tuberculous adenopathy differ from that described previously. Typical enhancement was 'ghost-like' rather than discreet ring enhancing with a low-density centre. The site most frequently involved by nodes also differs from previous studies. The subcarinal region should be the site receiving most attention for the identification of lymphadenopathy, as this is most frequently involved and is also the site of the largest lymph-node masses. The presence of lymph-node groups at other recognised sites adds confidence when there is doubt, as multifocal involvement is common. Approximately one-quarter of patients with hilar adenopathy may have bronchial compression in childhood.
Imaging techniques that are considered the gold standard for particular diseases must be validated pathologically, and if this is not possible, interobserver variability should be evaluated. CT is considered the gold standard for detecting lymphadenopathy, but we have shown only moderate agreement between readers. Readers had difficulty in distinguishing lymphadenopathy from normal thymus and were unable to distinguish normal from pathological nodes without a predetermined size threshold for abnormality. The right hilum and the sites around the carina are the most reliable for the reported presence of lymphadenopathy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.