[Lymph node clearance: is surgical practice homogenous?].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to make evident the huge variability in lymph node dissection practice.


METHODS
Therefore a retrospective study was conducted on 330 patients assessed for cervical, axillary or groin dissections. In each case the authors collected the primary diagnosis and clinical stage indicating lymph node clearance, identity of the surgeon and the pathologist, surgical technique including skin incision and landmarks of tissue removal, size of the clearance, and number of lymph nodes removed. Correlations between diagnosis, surgeon's or pathologist's identity, size of the clearance and number of nodes were analyzed using non-parametric tests.


RESULTS
Standardized procedures as axillary dissections occurred few differences between surgeons. In groin or cervical dissections statistical differences were made evident with great technical variability. There was a positive correlation between size of the piece of lymphadenectomy and number of lymph nodes removed.


CONCLUSIONS
Standardized procedures as axillary dissections provide few variations. Cervical and especially groin dissections should be harmonized, published and taught harmoniously in schools of surgery. So the expression "regional lymph node clearance" would mean.
Trost
O
O
Service de chirurgie maxillofaciale, plastique, esthétique et réparatrice, chirurgie de la main, CHU de Dijon, 3, rue du Faubourg-Raines, BP 1519, 21033 Dijon, France. otrost@caramail.com
Danino
A
A
Benoît
L
L
Dalac
S
S
Labruère-Chazal
C
C
Trouilloud
P
P
Malka
G
G
D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies