title: An exploration of the surgical modality of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with cN0 tongue carcinoma: an animal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lymphatic mapping with vital dye is often exploited during a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB); however, the time restraints associated with blue dye may limit its efficacy in tongue carcinoma. Using an animal study, this exploration attempted to achieve a rational surgical modality to circumvent this hindrance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight rabbits were divided into 2 equal groups: A and B; 0.2 mL methylene blue (MB) was injected into 4 parts of the tongues of the rabbits in A just after elevating the cervical flap and into the tongues of the rabbits in B just before the elevation. The times when the lymphatic vessel and lymph node turned blue and then returned pale were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cases in group A had significantly more time left for tracing blue-stained lymphatic vessels than those in group B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevating the cervical flap before injecting MB can alleviate the time restraint of MB as a lymphatic tracer in SLNB with tongue carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology and School of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xia-Cheng
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wen-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chen-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xing-Zhou
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D008751:Methylene Blue; D037981:Neck Dissection; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013997:Time Factors; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D008751:Methylene Blue