Does injection distance of the radiocolloid modify lymphatic mapping in melanoma?
BACKGROUND
An important factor to be considered when performing lymphogammagraphy in melanoma patients is the adequate distance of injection of the radiopharmaceutical from the biopsy excision site or the primary lesion.


OBJECTIVE
To test the reproducibility of lymphatic mapping in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma who had undergone narrow excisional biopsy by injecting a technetium marker at different distances from the biopsy scar.


METHODS
After informed consent, two lymphoscintigraphies were performed on each of 19 melanoma patients, following narrow excisional biopsy. Four aliquots of the radiocolloid were intradermally injected in each procedure, surrounding the biopsy excision site at 1.5 and 0.5 cm, respectively.


RESULTS
Both lymphoscintigraphies showed similar lymph channels and sentinel node(s).


CONCLUSIONS
In melanoma patients who have undergone narrow excisional biopsy, lymphoscintigraphy marks with accuracy the sentinel node, at least when the radiopharmaceutical is injected at a distance of less than 1.5 cm from the limits of the biopsy scar.
Martínez-Escribano
J A
JA
Department of Dermatology, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain.
Navarro
J L
JL
Piñero
A
A
Nicolás
F
F
Frías
J F
JF
Sánchez-Pedreño
P
P
Parrilla
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007271:Injections, Intradermal; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid