[Feasibility of the sentinel lymph node technique in cervical and vulvar cancers].
OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to investigate the feasibility of identifying the sentinel lymph node (SLN) in patients undergoing surgery for cervical and vulvar carcinomas. We also evaluated the advantages that such procedure can offer in this kind of tumors.


METHODS
We detected the sentinel lymph node through preoperative lymphoscintigraphy (Technetium-99m colloid) and intraoperative visualization with blue dye by a hand-held or laparoscopic gamma-probe in 7 patients with invasive cervical carcinoma (clinical stage Ib1) and in 6 patients with vulvar carcinoma (clinical stages Ib and II) .


RESULTS
At least one sentinel lymph node was identified in each patient. SNL was more commonly found in patients with invasive cervical carcinoma. We observed neoplastic infiltration in 3 nodes, all of them corresponding to cases of vulvar carcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Sentinel lymph node identification is a feasible technique in the management of vulvar and cervical carcinomas. Our preliminary data show that SLN in gynecological carcinomas have similar uses as in other anatomical sites, identifying women in whom lymph node dissection can be avoided.
Fusté
Pere
P
Servicio de Ginecología y Obstetricia, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España. Pfuste@imas.imim.es
Ortega
Marisa
M
Vidal
Sergi
S
Mancebo
Gemma
G
Alameda
Francesc
F
Carreras
Ramon
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*