SummaryThe inaccuracy of palpation to detect cervical metastatic lymph node disease is emphasised. Approximately one third of patients with head and neck carcinoma will be diagnosed incorrectly with respect to metastatic disease in the neck regardless of the presence or not of palpable nodes. Normal but palpable nodes or anatomical prominences may cause difficulty in interpretation.This report gives details of experience with67Gallium citrate scanning in 14 patients with cervical masses, which were initially assumed to be metastatic in origin.The primary lesion was well demonstrated in two cases, and in four other cases positivee7Ga scans corresponding with metastatic cervical lymph nodes were obtained. In six cases however the scan was negative; moreover there were two instances where chronically‐inflamed submandibular salivary glands gave “false positive” scans. On the basis of this experience, thef, TGa scan appears to be of no help in staging head and neck malig