A 58-year-old lorry driver presents with a lump in his neck. He first noticed it after recovering from a ‘cold’ 2 months ago. The patient reports no change in the size of the lump. He is otherwise well in himself and denies dysphagia, odynophagia, weight loss or loss of appetite. He is a heavy smoker and drinks alcohol daily. On examination, you feel a hard, fixed lump in the anterior triangle of the neck.
Which of the following is the best next investigation?
- A) Radioactive iodine uptake test
- B) FDG PET-CT whole body
- C) X-ray neck
- D) CT head, neck and thorax
- E) Ultrasound of the neck
ASCENT 