OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of differentiation of @entity706 , metastatic lymph nodes of @entity957 ( @entity957 ) and @entity3557 ( @entity3557 ) in the head and neck by single-source dual-energy spectral CT. METHODS: 25 cases of @entity1893 ( @entity1893 ) with 236 lymph nodes, 3 cases of @entity978 ( @entity978 ) with 32 lymph nodes, 21 cases of @entity957 with 86 lymph nodes and 19 cases of @entity3557 with 92 lymph nodes were evaluated by enhanced GSI. CT attenuation of lymph nodes in the monochromatic images at different keV levels and the @entity1496 and water contents of these lymph nodes were measured. The slope of spectral curve was calculated using CT value at 40 keVand 90 keV. All results were analyzed with ANOVA and t test. RESULTS: 70 keV had the best single energy images. Normalized Hounsfield unit (NHU) of @entity1892 ( @entity1892 ), @entity706 ( @entity706 ), @entity981 ( @entity981 ), @entity978 , @entity3557 and @entity957 was 0.32    0.10, 0.46    0.08, 0.41    0.11, 0.41    0.11, 0.56    0.15 and 0.34    0.16, respectively. Normalized @entity1496 concentration (NIC) of them was 0.20    0.08, 0.32    0.08, 0.25    0.09, 0.30    0.12, 0.49    0.18 and 0.23    0.18, respectively. The slope of spectral curve (k) of them was -1.92    0.55, -2.45    0.60, -1.82    0.57, -2.57    0.54, -5.44    2.41 and -1.97    0.81, respectively. Compared with the NHU, there was a statistically significant difference in each pair except @entity1892 and @entity957 , and @entity981 and @entity978 . Compared with the NIC, there was a statistically significant difference in each pair except @entity1892 and @entity957 , @entity706 and @entity978 , @entity981 and @entity957 , and @entity981 and @entity978 . Compared with the slope of spectral curve, there was statistically significant difference in each pair except @entity1892 and @entity981 , @entity1892 and @entity957 , @entity706 and @entity978 , and @entity981 and @entity957 . CONCLUSIONS: Malignant lymph nodes of different types of diseases have certain different values of quantitative parameters in spectral CT imaging. By using CT attenuation, the shape and slope of spectral curve and the @entity1496 content, single-source dual-energy CT may potentially provide a quantitative analysis tool for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of lymph node alterations.

[Application of single-source dual-energy spectral CT in differentiating XXXX and metastatic lymph nodes in the head and neck].

@entity3557 :: ('MESH:C536915', 'Disease') :: ['papillary thyroid carcinoma', 'PTC'] @entity1496 :: ('MESH:D007455', 'Chemical') :: ['iodine'] @entity981 :: ('MESH:D054198', 'Disease') :: ['T lymphoblastic lymphoma', 'T-LBL'] @entity706 :: ('MESH:D008223', 'Disease') :: ['lymphoma', 'FL', 'follicular lymphoma'] @entity957 :: ('MESH:D002294', 'Disease') :: ['squamous cell carcinoma', 'SCC'] @entity1892 :: ('MESH:D016393', 'Disease') :: ['DLBCL', 'diffuse large B-cell lymphoma'] @entity1893 :: ('MESH:D008228', 'Disease') :: ['non-Hodgkin lymphoma', 'NHL'] @entity978 :: ('MESH:D006689', 'Disease') :: ['HL', "Hodgkin's lymphoma"]
@entity706 :: (MESH:D008223,Disease) :: ['lymphoma']
