Intra-operative injection of Patent Blue V dye to facilitate nodal staging in colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Routine histopathology may understage colorectal cancer by failing to detect involved lymph nodes. This study examined the feasibility of dye staining those lymph nodes most likely to harbour metastases.


METHODS
Patent Blue V dye 2.5% was injected intra-operatively into left-sided colorectal carcinomas prior to resection in 19 patients.


RESULTS
Blue-stained nodes were found in 12/19 patients (63%). Examination of blue-stained nodes alone correctly identified overall nodal status in 11 (92%) of these 12 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The technique needs to be refined further. Nonetheless, intra-operative lymph node staining using blue dye offers the prospect of improving the ease and accuracy of nodal staging in colorectal cancer.
Gandy
C P
CP
Department of Surgery, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK.
Biddlestone
L R
LR
Roe
A M
AM
O'Leary
D P
DP