An observational study in Head and Neck Cancer, Lymphoma and Lymph Node Metastasis, sponsored by Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Completed at 2 sites in Denmark. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-08.
Sponsored by Rigshospitalet, Denmark · Observational
The goal of this observational study is to visualize the small vessels in normal and cancerous lymph nodes on the neck with a new ultrasound technique.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
The participants will have 1 lymph nodes ultrasound scanned with a standard ultrasound technique and the new technique.
Super-resolution ultrasound using erythrocytes (SURE) is a new ultrasound technique for visualizing the very small blood vessels in the body. The technique uses tracking of the blood's red blood cells (erythrocytes) to achieve a higher resolution of the blood vessels' shape, structure, and blood flow. The technique makes it possible to create images with much higher resolution than normal ultrasound, which means that even very small blood vessels can be imaged and measured.
In many diseases, the small blood vessels change their function or structure. One of the major disease groups where SURE has significant potential is cancer. In cancerous nodes, the small blood vessels change: they become twisted, irregular, and function poorly. If changes in the small vessels can be detected at an early stage using SURE, it can lead to quicker diagnoses and better evaluations of the effectiveness of treatment.
In this study, the investigators aim to demonstrate the practical feasibility of SURE imaging in human lymph nodes and investigate the clinical relevance of SURE imaging in the diagnosis of malignant lymph nodes by comparing lymph nodes from healthy participants with lymph nodes from participants with head and neck cancer metastases or lymphoma.
2,344 studies on the registry are indexed under Head and Neck Neoplasms; 551 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 20 is below the median of 100 across 441 observational studies indexed under Head and Neck Neoplasms.
Browse Head and Neck Neoplasms studies →Rigshospitalet, Denmark is the lead sponsor of 1,017 studies on the registry; 183 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
The healthy participants are recruited via forsøgsperson.dk and www.sundhed.dk/borger/behandling-ogrettigheder/bliv-forsoegsperson as well as via advertising posters at Rigshospitalet and at the Technical University of Denmark and possibly on social media.
The participants will be recruited among the patients with head and neck cancer metastases or lymphoma currently referred for a fast-track program at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery \& Audiology, Rigshospitalet.
Inclusion Criteria:
Inclusion criteria for healthy participants:
Inclusion criteria for participants with head and neck cancer or lymphoma:
Exclusion Criteria:
Drugs that cause lymphadenopathy: Antibiotics (Cephalosporins, Penicillin, Sulfonamides), Antiepileptics (Carbamazepine, Ethosuximide, Lamotrigine, Phenytoin, Primidone), Antihypertensives (Atenolol, Captopril, Hydralazine), Other (Allopurinol, Imatinib)
Healthy participants
Patients with malignant lymph nodes on the neck
Other: Malignant lymph nodes
Patients with a condition; either lymphoma on the neck or head and neck cancer with lymph node metastases on the neck.
Super-resolution ultrasound image of normal and malignant human lymph nodes
With super-resolution ultrasound imaging, the investigators will visualize the microvasculature in the lymph nodes.
Time frame: 1 minute
Vessel distribution
Visual distribution of the nodal microvasculature
Time frame: 1 minute
Microvessel density
The ratio of the vessel volume to the full volume in different regions
Time frame: 1 minute
Flow velocity
In mm/s
Time frame: 1 minute
Vessel diameter
micrometer
Time frame: 1 min
Plan to share: Undecided
This study is completed, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Rigshospitalet, Denmark