title: ASSESSMENT OF SENTINEL LYMPH NODE METASTASIS IN CANINE MAMMARY GLAND TUMORS USING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC INDIRECT LYMPHOGRAPHY.
abstract: In the staging process of the breast cancer, demonstrating metastasis of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) has an important prognostic value, in both humans and animals. The aim of this prospective case-control study was to determine the diagnostic value of computed tomographic indirect lymphography (CT-LG) for detecting SLN metastasis in dogs with mammary cancer. Thirty-three female dogs with tumors in the abdominal and inguinal mammary glands were prospectively selected and subjected to CT-LG, 1 and 5 min after injection of 1 ml of contrast agent (iopamidol) in the subareolar tissue of the neoplastic and the contralateral normal mammary glands. The pattern of postcontrast opacification, degree of postcontrast enhancement, and size and shape were assessed in 65 SLNs in total and were correlated with histopathological findings. The absence of opacification or heterogeneous opacification 1 min after contrast medium injection showed the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (93%, 100%, and 98.4%, respectively). In images taken 1 min after injection, an absolute density value lower than 444 Hounsfield units (HU) in the center of the SLN also provided significant sensitivity and specificity (93.8% and 75%, respectively). The size and shape of the SLN (maximum and minimum diameter, maximum/minimum diameter ratio, maximum diameter/height of fifth thoracic vertebral body ratio) showed the lowest sensitivity and specificity. Results of this study support the hypothesis that CT-LG could help in the assessment of SLN metastasis in cases of mammary gland tumors in dogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soultani
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Michail N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Patsikas
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karayannopoulou
authors.affiliation: Dick White Referrals Diagnostic Imaging, Cambridge, CB8 0UH, UK.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jakovljevic
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chryssogonidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Lysimachos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Papazoglou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papaioannou
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papadopoulou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Kyriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pavlidou
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ilia
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kaitzis
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece.
authors.forename: Tatiana M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Ilia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008220:Lymphography / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000071036:Sentinel Lymph Node / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: computed tomographic lymphography; dog; mammary glands; sentinel lymph node