Berger I, Simpson S, Friedberg JS, et al. - This study was conducted to ascertain whether computed tomography (CT) can reliably detect malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) posterior intercostal lymph nodes (PILN) metastasis. Researchers examined preoperative staging CT exams for the presence of PILN in MPM patients undergoing extended pleurectomy/decortication (eP/D) between 2007-2013 with a surgical sampling of their PILN. They recorded the number and short-axis size of PILN and correlated it with surgical pathology. The research included a total of 36 individuals that had undergone eP/D with PILN sampling and had preoperative CT images for review. The data indicated that, for patients with MPM undergoing extended pleurectomy/decortication, CT does not reliably distinguish metastatic PILN on preoperative CT. Regardless of PILN pathology, the number of PILN on preoperative CT did not predict metastasis, with an average of 2 PILN seen. PILN short axis size did not predict metastasis; the average nodal short axis size was 4.6 mm and 4.8 mm for benign and malignant PILN, respectively.