LAUSR

To investigate the diagnostic criteria of mediastinal lymph node metastasis (MLNM) in special site, which were less than 1cm, in esophageal carcinoma (EC) by comparing the lymph node size measured by CT and obtained by postoperative pathological examination. A total of 305 EC patients were selected, scanned the location, short diameter, and number of MLNs one week before surgery, and then compared with their pathological findings. the ROC curve analysis revealed that the best short diameters of MLNM in the thoracic cavity, supraclavicular fossa (located among the clavicle, sternocleidomastoid, and omohyoid muscle), tracheoesophageal groove that can be diagnosed by CT were 8mm, 5mm, and 6mm, respectively; compared with those with the short diameter as 10mm, the sensitivity was increased significantly, the specificity and accuracy were little changed, while the Youden's index was increased significantly. It is reasonable to reduce the CT diagnostic criteria of the short diameter of positive lymph nodes in some special site such as supraclavicular fossa and tracheoesophageal groove. All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.