A new intraoperative gamma camera for the sentinel lymph node procedure in breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed at evaluating the performance of an intraoperative gamma camera, named CarolIReS, to detect axillary drainage and to assess the removal of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) in breast surgery.


METHODS
SLN biopsy was performed on 25 patients and the CarolIReS camera was used preoperatively to localize SLNs. During surgery, individual removal of SLNs was performed using a gamma probe and their activity was measured with a gamma ray counter. At the end of surgery, the CarolIReS camera was used again to check the quality of surgery which was followed by surgical excision for remaining SLNs.


RESULTS
The detection efficiency of the CarolIReS camera was 2.2 cps/kBq for 99"Tc activity in SLNs. In one case, it allowed the detection of a residual SLN with a low activity (0.5 kBq) which was massively metastatic.


CONCLUSIONS
Intraoperative cameras could be used to improve the efficiency of the SLN procedure.
Mathelin
Carole
C
CHRU, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Hôpital Civil, F-67091 Strasbourg, France. carole.mathelin@chru-strasbourg.fr
Salvador
Samuel
S
Bekaert
Virgile
V
Croce
Sabrina
S
Andriamisandratsoa
Norosoa
N
Liégeois
Philippe
P
Prados
Eric
E
Guyonnet
Jean-Louis
JL
Grucker
Daniel
D
Brasse
David
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013667:Technetium
D013667:Technetium