[Sentinel lymph node excision (SLNE) and positron emission tomography in the staging of stage I-II melanoma patients].
OBJECTIVE
Sentinel lymph node excision (SLNE) and positron emission tomography (PET) were evaluated in the staging of 51 Stage I and II melanoma patients (staged according to the guidelines of the German Dermatological Society).


RESULTS
Tumor thickness ranged from 1.0 mm to 6.0 mm (median: 1.5 mm; mean: 2.07 mm). At least one sentinel lymph node (SLN) was excised in all patients; 80 SLN were excised from 69 lymphatic drainage areas. Positive SLN were detected in 6 patients (11.8%). Additional positive lymph nodes were not detected in any of these patients in the following complete lymph node dissection of the affected lymph node basin. Preoperative PET was performed in 40 patients and did not detect any of the micrometastases that were subsequently found by SLNE. During the follow up of 7-40 months (mean 21.9 months) 3 patients experienced tumor progression; 2 of 3 had a positive SLN.


CONCLUSIONS
According to the current literature SLNE is recommended in primary tumors greater than 1 mm thickness. PET cannot be expected to give additional information in the staging of stage I-II patients.
Schäfer
A
A
Hautklinik, Klinikum Dortmund gGmbH und Lehrstuhl Dermatologie der Universität Witten/Herdecke.
Herbst
R A
RA
Beiteke
U
U
Lange-Ionescu
S
S
Treckmann
H
H
Löhlein
D
D
Thiemann
G
G
Theophil
B
B
Schwarze
E-W
EW
Bartels
H-J
HJ
Frosch
P J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed