title: Axillary 3D CT imaging with lymphoscintigraphy is useful for sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examined whether 3D CT imaging with lymphoscintigraphy (LSG) is useful when performing sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in a community hospital where radioisotope with gamma-probe (RI method) is unavailable.
  
  
  METHODS
  From June to November 2002, 35 T1/T2 clinically node-negative breast cancer patients underwent LSG in a university nuclear medicine department. Skin areas above LSG hot spots were marked, helical CT scanning was performed and axillary 3D images were created in our hospital. The SLN predicted from the 3D images were examined for agreement with the dye method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SLNs were detected with dye in 32 out of 35 patients (91.4%). In 31 of those 32 (96.9%), the SLN predicted from 3D CT images was the same. Even in the 3 dye-negative patients, CT imaging predicted the SLN. SNB including sampling was successful in 34 patients (97.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3D CT imaging with LSG enables SNB even if the RI method is impossible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, National Higashi-Tokushima Hospital, 1-1, Ohmukai-kita, Ootera, Itano, Itano, Tokushima, 779-0193, Japan. mminato@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minato
authors.forename: Chieko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasa
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishitani
authors.forename: Ayuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Tadaoki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morimoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents