title: Safety and technical success of methylene blue dye for lymphatic mapping in breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of methylene blue dye (MBD) for sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping in breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 398 patients undergoing 401 SLN biopsy procedures with MBD were retrospectively reviewed and divided into 3 groups based on dye concentration and location of dye injection. Technical success and complication rates were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall technical success of SLN biopsy was 99.7%. Technical success of SLN mapping with MBD was lowest in the group receiving full strength dye in a peritumoral location (74%) and highest in the group that received very dilute MBD (1.25 mg/mL) in the subareolar location (92%, P = .004). The complication rate was highest in the first group (21%) and lowest in the latter (2%, P = .0003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dilute MBD (1.25 mg/mL) successfully maps SLNs with very few complications.
authors: Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors: Shaheen
authors: S
authors: Zakaria
authors: Tanya L
authors: TL
authors: Hoskin
authors: Amy C
authors: AC
authors: Degnim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008751:Methylene Blue