Ultrasound-guided wire localisation: a GPS for hidden head and neck tumours? A case series

Objectives. Ultrasound-guided wire (USGW) localisation for small non-palpable tumours before a revision head and neck surgery is an attractive pre-operative option to facilitate tumour identification and decrease potential complications. We describe five cases of preoperative USGW localisation of non-palpable head and neck lesions to facilitate surgical localisation and resection. Methods. All patients undergoing pre-operative USGW localisation for non-palpable tumours of the head and neck region at London Health and Sciences Center, London, Ontario, Canada, were included. All the USGW localisations were performed by the same interventional radiologist, and the surgeries were performed by fellowship trained head and neck surgeons. Results. Five patients were included. All patients were undergoing revision surgery for recurrent or persistent disease. All successfully underwent a pre-operative USGW localisation of the non-palpable lesion before revision surgery. All lesions were localised intraoperatively with no peri-operative complications. Conclusions. USGW localisation is a safe and effective pre-operative technique for the identification of small non-palpable head and neck tumours.