title: Axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy after mastectomy: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sentinel lymph node biopsy has been established as the preferred method for staging early breast cancer. A prior history of mastectomy is felt to be a contraindication.
  
  
  METHODS
  A patient with recurrent breast cancer in her skin flap was discovered to have positive axillary sentinel nodes by sentinel lymph node biopsy five years after mastectomy for ductal carcinoma in situ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A prior history of mastectomy may not be an absolute contraindication to sentinel lymph node biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA. diegoavicente@gmail.com
authors.forename: Diego A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Leonard R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hahm
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Soballe
authors.forename: DeeDee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008408:Mastectomy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy