Site-specific lymphatic mapping relative to lingual septum in localizing the regional lymph nodes of tongue - an animal study.
OBJECTIVE
With technical adaptations, recent studies showed SLNB could predict cervical nodes status of head and neck carcinoma with high accuracy. However, as for tongue carcinoma, such technical adaptations seem to be not enough because the tongue has peculiar characteristic which may demand a specific procedure for accurate lymphatic mapping. This investigation explored the effect of lingual septum on lymphatic mapping of tongue to provide data for achieving an accurate lymphatic mapping for managing early tongue carcinoma.


METHODS
Four doses of Methylene Blue were injected into various parts of 64 rabbits' tongue, then diffusion range of Methylene Blue in tongue and sites of cervical nodes stained blue were noted. Finally, the tongues were resected for further histological examination and morphometric assessments.


RESULTS
There was lingual septum in the tongue and the diffusing of Methylene Blue could be terminated by lingual septum. Blue-stained nodes were identified in 84 lateral necks of 60 rabbits.


CONCLUSIONS
A site-specific way of lymphatic mapping relative to lingual septum should be developed for staging early tongue carcinoma.
Liu
Xia-cheng
XC
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200011, China.
Xu
Li-qun
LQ
Sui
Li-xin
LX
Ruan
Min
M
Yu
Zhi-wei
ZW
Ji
Tong
T
Qu
Xing-zhou
XZ
Zhang
Chen-ping
CP
D000818:Animals; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008751:Methylene Blue; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D014059:Tongue / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology
D008751:Methylene Blue