title: Role of lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node biopsy in the management of pediatric melanoma and sarcoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe the use of lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph-node biopsy (SLNB) for the management of children with melanoma and sarcomas. We report the experience of two children's hospitals that utilize this technique to identify sentinel lymph nodes for lymph-node biopsy and dissection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified 56 patients (median age 10.8 years) who underwent 58 lymphoscintigraphy procedures. There were 33 patients with melanoma and melanocytic lesions, and 23 with sarcomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 58 lymphoscintigraphy procedures, sentinel lymph nodes were identified in 52 (90% success rate). Using the combination of intraoperative blue dye injection and lymphoscintigraphy, the success rate was 95% (55/58). Metastatic disease was found in 14 sentinel lymph nodes (13 patients with melanoma and melanocytic lesions, and 1 patient with rhabdomyosarcoma).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have found that lymphoscintigraphy with SLNB is an effective method to identify patients who may benefit from more extensive lymph-node dissection and to identify those patients who are unlikely to benefit from further lymph-node exploration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Lalit
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parida
authors.forename: Griffin T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Morrisson
authors.forename: Amer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shammas
authors.forename: A K M Moinul
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: M Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: McCarville
authors.forename: J Ted
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Gerstle
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Charron
authors.forename: Bhaskar N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Barry L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Shulkin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D061305:Lymphoscintigraphy; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*