title: Sentinel node biopsy in cutaneous melanoma patients: technical and clinical aspects.
abstract: The role of the patent blue dye (PBD) technique and intraoperative probe-guided lymphoscintigraphy (LS) in detecting the sentinel node (SN) was investigated in a group of 130 consecutive stage I cutaneous melanoma patients. The preoperative workup included high-resolution US scanning and LS performed 15-18 hours before surgery. On the basis of preoperative LS, in the group of examined patients a total of 143 lymphatic drainage basins were identified and surgically explored: 41.6% in the axilla, 52.8% in the groin, and 5.6% in the head/neck. A total of 228 SNs were intraoperatively detected and removed; 110 lymphatic basins contained histologically negative SNs, while 33 basins had metastatic SNs. The sensitivity for SN detection using PBD alone was 93%, while it was 100% when PBD was combined with intraoperative LS. Preoperative and intraoperative LS appears to be a highly sensitive technique for SN detection in cutaneous melanoma patients. Furthermore, in view of the limited skin incision when radioguided surgery is performed, SN biopsy could be feasible under local anesthesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Regional Hospital and University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Casara
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rubello
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scagnet
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mocellin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pilati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foletto
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Montesco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tregnaghi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rubaltelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lise
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; C008769:sulfan blue