Patient had been treated for a malignant lymphoma and now has a mass in the neck.
With patients with a known malignancy always be aware of the possibility of malignant lymph nodes. The nodes can be very well defined and when located in the periphery of a salivary gland can be mistaken for a benign mass. A biopsy should always be performed and a non-conclusive puncture is not sufficient to exclude a malignancy. Always perform another puncture until it is conclusive. The node, in this case, underwent necrotic changes with only vital tissue at the periphery mimicking it an abscess. The biopsy proved it to be a local recurrence of the malignant lymphoma.
Dr. Taco Geertsma is the founder of UltrasoundCases.info and a retired radiologist and has worked in the Gelderse Vallei hospital from January 1, 1983. till July 1, 2014. He was the head of the ultrasound department for many years.
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