title: Sentinel node imaging and biopsy in breast cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several techniques have been shown to be accurate in identifying axillary sentinel lymph nodes. The accuracy of subareolar blue dye injection is compared with intraparenchymal radioisotope injection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two consecutive patients with breast cancer were injected with both intraparenchymal technetium-99m and subareolar isosulfan blue dye. After sentinel lymph node identification, an axillary lymph node dissection was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The blue dye and the technetium-99m localized to the same axillary nodes even though the injection sites were different. The sensitivity of blue dye in identifying axillary sentinel nodes was 100%. The sensitivity of radioisotope injection in identifying sentinel nodes was 97.6%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subareolar blue dye injection is an extremely accurate and cost-effective method of sentinel node identification in breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, 333 W. Thomas Rd., Suite 203, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA. Edonahued@aol.com
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Donahue
mesh_terms: D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D013667:Technetium
chemical_list: D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; C025484:iso-sulfan blue; D013667:Technetium