Ultrasound-Guided Hook-Wire Localization for Excision of Non-palpable Cervical Lesions Suspicious for Metastasis

This prospective randomized controlled trial evaluates whether ultrasound-guided hook-wire localization improves the surgical management of non-palpable or difficult-to-palpate cervical lesions suspicious for metastatic disease compared with ultrasound-guided surgical excision alone. The study was designed to investigate whether preoperative hook-wire localization can facilitate more efficient and accurate surgical removal of targeted cervical lesions while minimizing surgical burden.

Patients with cervical lesions or lymph nodes suspicious for malignancy based on fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and/or fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) findings may require surgical excision to obtain definitive histopathological diagnosis or to guide further oncological management. However, non-palpable or poorly palpable cervical lesions can be challenging to identify intraoperatively, potentially resulting in longer operative procedures, larger incisions, increased tissue dissection, and difficulties in ensuring retrieval of the intended target lesion.

Ultrasound-guided hook-wire localization is a technique in which a thin wire is placed under ultrasound guidance into or adjacent to the target lesion before surgery, providing the surgeon with a physical marker to facilitate identification and excision. This approach is widely used for localization of non-palpable breast lesions but has been less extensively evaluated for cervical lesions. The present study investigates the clinical utility of this technique in cervical surgery.

The study was conducted at Karolinska University Hospital between April 2021 and November 2025. Adult patients (≥18 years) with cervical lesions or lymph nodes suspicious for malignancy who were scheduled for surgical excision of a non-palpable or difficult-to-palpate lesion for histopathological evaluation were eligible for inclusion. Most included patients had confirmed or suspected malignancy, and excisional lymph node biopsy represented the most common surgical procedure.

A total of 51 patients were randomized using sealed opaque envelopes to either ultrasound-guided hook-wire localization followed by surgical excision or ultrasound-guided excision alone. One patient was excluded after randomization due to a protocol violation, as the procedure was planned under local anesthesia and therefore did not meet the predefined inclusion criteria. To maintain balanced study groups, one additional patient was enrolled using a duplicate allocation envelope, resulting in a final study population of 50 patients, with 25 patients allocated to each study arm.

The primary objective was to determine whether hook-wire localization reduces operative time. Operative time was defined as the interval from the initial ultrasound localization of the target lesion to completion of wound closure. Secondary objectives included evaluation of surgical accuracy and feasibility through assessment of skin incision length, successful retrieval of the intended target lesion confirmed by histopathological examination, surgeon-rated procedural difficulty, and perioperative complications.

All participants were prospectively monitored for adverse events related to the procedure and surgery, including bleeding, infection, lymphatic leakage, and neurological injury. The study aims to provide evidence regarding whether ultrasound-guided hook-wire localization can improve surgical efficiency and precision in patients undergoing excision of challenging cervical lesions while maintaining procedural safety.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults aged ≥18 years
• Patients with a cervical lesion or lymph node suspicious for malignancy based on fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and/or fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) findings.
• Patients scheduled for surgical excision in general anesthesia of a non-palpable or difficult-to-palpate cervical lesion for definitive histopathological diagnosis.
• Patients able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients undergoing procedures planned under local anesthesia only.
• Patients not meeting the predefined surgical criteria for excision of a target cervical lesion.
• Patients with palpable cervical lesions suitable for direct surgical identification and excision without imaging guidance
• Patients unable to provide informed consent.