title: Lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node biopsy, in cutaneous melanoma staging and treatment decisions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a widely accepted method in the management of clinically localized cutaneous melanomas. The aim of this study was to report the results on patients scheduled for preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and SLNB for staging and further treatment planning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and one patients (115 male and 86 female, median age 57 years, range 9-81) with cutaneous melanoma having undergone SLB at Military Medical Academy between November 2010 and October 2014, were recruited for retrospective study. Dual labeling method (Tc-99m Nanocolloid (blue dye) was used. In order to delineate the relation between patients' tumors and scintigraphic characteristics with positive SLN findings, we examined all variables by univariate logistic regression with odd ratios representing the size effect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall identification rate of SLN was 98.5%. One or more positive SLN were seen in 47 (23.4%) of the patients. Drainage to one regional basin was noticed in 176 (88%) and multiple drainage regions, up to three, was noticed in 24 patients (12%). Transit lymph nodes were detected in 20 patients (10%). The characteristics that were assotiated significatly with sentinel lymph node metastases were Breslow thickness, nodular melanoma histological subtype and acral localization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Besides the well established primary tumor thickness being a predictor of SLN malignancy, we observed: acral body site location and nodular melanoma histological subtype to be significant independent factors in increasing the risk for regional metastases. Our results suport the clinical usefulness of SLNB within a multidisciplinary approach (dermatooncology, plastic/head and neck surgery, pathology, nuclear medicine), as a reliable method in staging and for treatment planning in melanoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Military Medical Academy, Crnotravska 17, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia. lilaj2805@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ljiljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jaukovic
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sijan
authors.forename: Milica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rajović
authors.forename: Lidija
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kandolf-Sekulovic
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radulovic
authors.forename: Zeljko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mijuskovic
authors.forename: Lidija
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zolotarevski
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ajdinovic
authors.forename: Marijan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novakovic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D061305:Lymphoscintigraphy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult