Sentinel node mapping in patients with malignant melanoma using melanoma Tc-99m colloidal rhenium sulfide.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to localize the sentinel lymph node using lymphoscintigraphy aided by Tc-99m colloidal rhenium sulfide.


METHODS
Thirty consecutive patients with histologically proved melanoma, but no clinical evidence of metastases, were examined before operation by injecting 20 to 40 MBq (0.5 to 1.1 mCi) Tc-99m colloidal rhenium sulfide with a mean particle size of 100 nm (range, 50 to 200 nm) intradermally around the lesion. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed immediately after injection. In addition, blue dye was injected before operation. A hand-held gamma probe guided the sentinel node biopsy.


RESULTS
Lymphoscintigraphy revealed hot spots in all patients. During surgery, the sentinel node was identified in all 30 patients. The number of sentinel nodes per patient ranged from 1 to 4 (mean, 1.9). Histologic examination confirmed the metastatic involvement of the sentinel lymph node in 11 of 30 patients. The sentinel lymph node-positive rate was 22.4%, which was comparable to findings using Tc-99m-labeled nanocolloids.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings indicate that Tc-99m-bound colloidal rhenium sulfide is suitable for sentinel node mapping.
Weiss
Mayo
M
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany. Mayo.weiss@nuk.med.uni-muenchen.de
Kunte
Christian
C
Schmid
Rupert Alfons
RA
Konz
Birger
B
Dresel
Stefan
S
Hahn
Klaus
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012211:Rhenium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D017556:Technetium Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017556:Technetium Compounds; C030576:technetium Tc 99m rhenium colloid; D012211:Rhenium