99Tc Nanocolloid sentinel node procedure in thyroid carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The purposes of this study were to investigate the efficacy of radiocolloid lymphoscintigraphy and of handheld gamma probe procedure for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and to evaluate its results in clinical staging.


METHODS
Sixty-five PTC consecutive patients entered the study. Patients underwent radiocolloid lymphoscintigraphy before surgery. Intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) localization was performed using a handheld gamma probe. They were followed up at 2, 6 months, and yearly.


RESULTS
SLN metastases were diagnosed in 52%. Fifty-one patients underwent ablative 131-I therapy. The mean Tireoglobulin level in N0 vs N1 cases was 2.2 ng/ml vs 4.73 (p = 0.03) and 0.68 vs 2.1 ng/ml (p = 0.005) before and after 131-I therapy, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients classified N0 by SLNB, ablative 131-I therapy could be avoided.
Boschin
Isabella Merante
IM
Surgical Pathology, University of Padua School of Medicine, Istituto Oncologico Veneto (IOV), Padua, Italy. isabella.meranteboschin@unipd.it
Toniato
Antonio
A
Piotto
Andrea
A
Ide
Eric Casal
EC
Casara
Dario
D
Guolo
AnnaMaria
A
Rubello
Domenico
D
Pelizzo
MariaRosa
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D055815:Young Adult
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; C083602:technetium Tc 99m nanocolloid