Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration With Optional Core Needle Biopsy of Head and Neck Lymph Nodes and Masses: Comparison of Diagnostic Performance in Treated Squamous Cell Cancer Versus All Other Lesions.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultrasound (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration with optional core needle biopsy of head and neck lymph nodes and masses, with attention to differences between biopsy of treated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and biopsy of other lesions.

Methods: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained, and the need for consent was waived for this retrospective study. All 861 US-guided biopsies of head and neck lymph nodes and masses performed between March 1, 2012, and May 16, 2016, were reviewed.