Chapter 7 Image-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration and Core Needle Biopsy of Neck Lymph Nodes: Techniques, Pearls, and Pitfalls

Image-guided percutaneous biopsy of cervical lymph nodes is a minimally invasive method performed for the characterization of abnormal lymph nodes, staging, and for the detection of regional tumor recurrence. When performed with proper technique and by a skilled proceduralist, this technique offers a very high diagnostic yield and can potentially save the patient from more invasive procedures. Its diagnostic role in different disease processes and the variations in technique as well as its potential risks and pitfalls will be discussed in this article.