Epitrochlear Lymph Node Dissection

Epitrochlear node involvement occurs in a small minority of patients with forearm or hand melanoma. Although in-transit sentinel lymph nodes are identified infrequently, they contain metastatic disease at nearly the same frequency as sentinel lymph nodes in cervical, axillary, and inguinal nodal basins. Positive in-transit sentinel lymph nodes are likely to be the only site of nodal metastasis. Therefore, detailed preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and meticulous intraoperative search for in-transit nodes should be performed. The recovery of nodes from in-transit nodal areas is low; however, there appears to be an increase in the performance of these dissections since the advent of lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy. This streaming video demonstrates the incidence of epitrochlear lymph node involvement and technical considerations associated with epitrochlear lymph node dissection.     

Lymphatic drainage to the popliteal basin in distal lower extremity malignant melanoma

Hypotheses Melanoma of the distal lower extremity may drain to the popliteal basin. Drainage pathways and retrieval of the popliteal sentinel nodes may affect patient outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of popliteal involvement in patients with stage IB or higher melanoma, operated on from August 1, 1993, to July 31, 2003. SETTING: Tertiary referral, university-affiliated medical center. PATIENTS: One hundred six melanoma patients who underwent combined lymphoscintigraphy and blue dye-guided sentinel node biopsy, radical popliteal dissection, or both. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence and patterns of drainage to popliteal nodes; effect on staging and outcome. RESULTS: Lymphoscintigraphy (n = 8) and physical examination (n = 2) identified 10 cases (9%) of draining to the popliteal basin, with concurrent drainage to the groin. Three distinct drainage patterns were identified, with different popliteal node locations. Seven of 8 popliteal sentinel nodes were retrieved, 1 of which was metastatic with no groin metastasis. Two patients had synchronous palpable popliteal and groin metastases and underwent radical groin and popliteal dissection. All 3 patients with popliteal metastases relapsed early with synchronous systemic and in-transit disease. One of 7 patients with negative sentinel nodes is alive with in-transit disease; all others are disease free. CONCLUSIONS: According to this series, the popliteal basin is the site of first drainage in about 9% of patients, with concurrent drainage to the groin. The 3 distinct patterns of drainage to the popliteal region and the presence of isolated popliteal metastases may affect the surgical treatment. Therefore, drainage to popliteal sentinel nodes and the pattern of this drainage should be noted in all distal lower extremity melanomas.     

Malignant melanoma metastasis to the sentinel node in the popliteal fossa.

Malignant melanoma metastasis to regional nodes is a well-recognised clinical event. Increasingly, sentinel lymph-node biopsy is being advocated for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. The lymphatic spread of tumour from the lateral aspect of the lower leg and foot is classically described as draining directly to the groin. We discuss the role of lymphoscintigraphy and popliteal dissection with reference to a recent case of a patient with a malignant melanoma at the level of the lateral malleolus that was shown to drain directly to a sentinel node in the popliteal fossa.     

Popliteal Lymph Node Dissection

Most sentinel nodes are located in the cervical, axillary, and inguinal nodal basins. Sometimes, however, sentinel nodes exist outside these traditional nodal basins. Popliteal nodal metastasis is relatively uncommon, and popliteal lymph node dissection is infrequently necessary. However, with lymphoscintigraphic identification of popliteal sentinel nodes, surgeons are more frequently called on to address the popliteal nodal basin. Therefore, knowledge of the anatomy and surgical technique for popliteal lymphadenectomy is essential. This case study illustrates the importance of considering the approach to the popliteal lymph node basin for patients with melanoma.     

When Sentinel Lymph Node is Intramammary

Introduction Sentinel lymph node biopsy is an accepted standard of care for staging the axilla in patients with early-stage breast cancer. Little attention has been placed to the presence of intramammary sentinel lymph nodes (intraMSLNs) on preoperative lymphoscintigraphy. Methods Between December 2001 and September 2006, in 9632 breast cancer patients with clinically uninvolved axillary nodes, lymphoscintigraphy was performed at the European Institute of Oncology (EIO). An axillary SLN (axSLN) was identified in 99.4% of cases. An intraMSLN was identified in association with the axillary sentinel lymph node in 22 patients (0.2%). In 15 cases both the axSLN and the intraMSLN were excised. Results The intraMSLN was positive in six patients (micrometastatic in three cases). The axSLNs were negative in all 15 cases. Two patients with positive intraMSLNs and one patient with a negative intraMSLN underwent axillary dissection; all three cases had negative axillary nodes. At a median follow-up of 24 months, no locoregional or systemic recurrences were observed. Conclusions Positive intraMSLNs can improve disease staging but do not necessarily portend axillary lymph node metastasis. When intraMSLNs and axSLNs are present, we advocate biopsy of both sites and that management of the axilla should rely on axSLN status. In cases with intraMSLNs as the only draining site on lymphoscintigraphy, decisions on axillary management should be made on individualized basis.     

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Patients with Extramammary Paget''s Disease

BACKGROUND: Patients with invasive extramammary Paget's disease appear to have a risk of regional lymph node metastasis. Despite the poor prognosis for patients with lymph node metastasis, management of extramammary Paget's disease without clinical evidence of involved nodes is controversial. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of sentinel lymph node biopsy, patients with extramammary Paget's disease underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy using preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative patent blue dye injection with a handheld gamma-detecting probe. METHODS: Thirteen patients with primary genital extramammary Paget's disease were included in the study. Sentinel nodes identified were excised and examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. All sentinel lymph nodes were also subjected to immunohistochemical staining for carcinoembryonic antigen, MUC1, cytokeratin 7, and gross cystic disease fluid protein-15. RESULTS: A total of 23 nodes were removed successfully. Tumor cells were detected in 4 nodes from four patients by hematoxylin and eosin staining. No additional lymph nodes were positive by immunohistochemistry. Three of the four sentinel-node-positive patients developed distant metastases. All nine patients without node involvement were free from disease during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Sentinel lymph node biopsy was safe and feasible method and may have an important role in the management of extramammary Paget's disease with clinically N0 status. To establish the optimal management of inguinal lymph nodes in extramammary Paget's disease, additional studies in large number of patients are needed.     

Interval nodes: the forgotten sentinel nodes in patients with melanoma

BACKGROUND: Any sentinel lymph node that receives lymph drainage directly from a primary melanoma site, regardless of its location, may contain metastatic disease. This is true even if the sentinel node does not lie in a recognized node field. Interval (in-transit) nodes that lie along the course of a lymphatic vessel between a primary melanoma site and a recognized node field are sometimes seen during lymphatic mapping for sentinel node biopsy. If drainage to such interval nodes is ignored by the surgeon during sentinel node biopsy, metastatic melanoma will be missed in some patients. HYPOTHESIS: When lymph drains directly from a cutaneous melanoma site to an interval node, that sentinel node has the same chance of harboring micrometastatic disease as a sentinel node in a recognized node field. DESIGN: Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy with technetiumTc 99m antimony trisulfide colloid was performed to define lymphatic drainage patterns and, since 1992, to locate the sentinel lymph nodes for surgical biopsy or for permanent skin marking of their location with point tattoos. SETTING: Melanoma unit of a university teaching hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 2045 patients with cutaneous melanoma were studied in 13 years. RESULTS: Interval nodes were found in 148 patients (7.2%). The incidence of interval nodes varied with the site of the primary melanoma. Interval nodes were more common with melanomas on the trunk than with those on the lower limbs. Micrometastatic disease was found in 14% of interval nodes that underwent biopsy as sentinel nodes. This incidence is similar to that found in sentinel nodes located in recognized node fields, confirming the potential clinical importance of interval nodes. CONCLUSIONS: Interval nodes should be removed surgically along with any additional sentinel nodes in standard node fields if the sentinel node biopsy procedure is to be complete. In some patients, an interval node will be the only lymph node that contains metastatic disease.     

Sentinel Node Biopsy Before Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Spares Breast Cancer Patients Axillary Lymph Node Dissection

Background Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients is a valuable method to determine the efficacy of chemotherapy and potentially downsize the primary tumor, which facilitates breast-conserving therapy. In 18 studies published about sentinel node biopsy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the sentinel node was identified in on average 89%, and the false-negative rate was on average 10%. Because of these mediocre results, no author dares to omit axillary clearance just yet. In our institute, sentinel lymph node biopsy is performed before neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate our experience with this approach. Methods Sentinel node biopsy was performed before neoadjuvant chemotherapy in 25 T2N0 patients by using lymphoscintigraphy, a gamma ray detection probe, and patent blue dye. Axillary lymph node dissection was performed after chemotherapy if the sentinel node contained metastases. Results Ten patients had a tumor-positive axillary sentinel node, and one patient had an involved lateral intramammary node. Four patients had additional involved nodes in the completion lymph node dissection specimen. The other 14 patients (56%) had a tumor-negative sentinel node and did not undergo axillary lymph node dissection. No recurrences have been observed after a median follow-up of 18 months. Conclusions Fourteen (56%) of the 25 patients were spared axillary lymph node dissection when the sentinel node was found to be disease free. Performing sentinel node biopsy before neoadjuvant chemotherapy seems successful and reliable in patients with T2N0 breast cancer.     

Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and dynamic sentinel node biopsy for staging penile cancer: results with pathological correlation

PURPOSE: We assessed the sensitivity of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and dynamic sentinel node biopsy for staging the inguinal region of patients with penile cancer and no palpable inguinal adenopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 31 patients with invasive penile cancer and nonpalpable (29) or nonsuspicious (2) inguinal lymph nodes were reviewed. Preoperatively lymphoscintigraphy plus dynamic sentinel node biopsy with (99m)technetium labeled sulfur colloid and isosulfan blue dye was performed in 21 patients and dynamic sentinel node biopsy alone with blue dye only was done in 10. All patients underwent superficial lymph node dissection regardless of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy or dynamic sentinel node biopsy findings to establish pathological nodal status. RESULTS: Six of 32 groins that showed drainage on preoperative lymphoscintigraphy had inguinal node metastasis, as did 1 of 10 that was drainage negative. The sensitivity of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy drainage for cancer detection was 86%. Using dynamic sentinel node biopsy with blue dye plus radiotracer 5 sentinel lymph nodes were positive for cancer, although 2 false-negative results were obtained. Thus, the sensitivity of dynamic sentinel node biopsy per groin for cancer detection was 71%. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and dynamic sentinel node biopsy as currently performed remain insufficient for detecting occult inguinal disease. Superficial lymph node dissection remains the gold standard for detecting inguinal microscopic metastasis in select patients.     

Detection of Micrometastasis in the Sentinel Lymph Node via Lymphoscintigraphy for a Patient With In-Transit Metastatic Melanoma

BACKGROUND: Lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy are highly accurate methods of detecting regional lymph node status for melanoma. Previously, these procedures were mainly performed in patients with primary melanoma before wide local excision. OBJECTIVE: To present a case with in-transit recurrence melanoma using lymphoscintigraphy and SLN biopsy for detection of nodal basin status. METHODS: The patient discussed here had a subungual melanoma that developed as an in-transit metastatic melanoma on the pretibia area 2 years after right big toe amputation. By using lymphoscintigraphy and SLN biopsy technique with injection of technetium-99m colloid around the in-transit metastatic site, the first node (SLN) draining the in-transit metastatic tumor was identified and harvested on the right inguinal area. Immediate right inguinal node dissection was subsequently performed. RESULTS: Under thorough histologic examination, the first node (SLN) draining the in-transit metastatic tumor was the only node that contained micrometastatic tumor cells in the surgical specimens. CONCLUSION: Lymphoscintigraphy and SLN biopsy techniques are sensitive procedures for detecting the regional nodal basin micrometastasis in in-transit recurrence melanoma patients.     

Incomplete Sentinel Node Biopsy Is Not Clearly Related to Survival or Regional Recurrence in Cutaneous Melanoma Patients

Background  

In melanoma patients, we define incomplete sentinel node biopsy (I-SNB) as when fewer lymph nodes are removed during sentinel node biopsy (SNB) than identified on preoperative lymphoscintigraphy (LS). This study quantifies the frequency of I-SNB and evaluates any correlation with patient outcomes.     

Sentinel lymph node mapping in the management of high risk malignant melanoma

In patients with malignant melanoma, the selective biopsy of the first draining lymph node, so-called the sentinel lymph node, allows to identify, with a low morbidity, the patients with nodal metastasis that require radical lymphadenectomy and adjuvant systemic chemotherapy. Herein, we report our initial experience in sentinel lymph node biopsy in 16 patients with malignant melanoma. The sentinel lymph node was localised using preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and injection of dye blue. Intraoperatively, the dissection was guided with a gamma probe and by the recognition of the blue nodes. In the 16 cases the sentinel lymph node was localised. In 50% of the cases, multiple sentinel nodes were demonstrated at lymphoscintigraphy and found during surgery. A limited postoperative morbidity was observed in three cases. Three patients presented nodal metastasis and underwent further radical lymphadenectomy. We conclude that sentinel lymph node mapping is a feasible and reproductive procedure. The preoperative lymphoscintigraphy is essential to identify multiple sentinel nodes and guide surgical dissection. The impact of this approach on the overall survival of patients with high-risk melanoma has still to be demonstrated in studies with a long follow-up.     

Halsted Revisited: Internal Mammary Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of internal mammary sentinel lymph node biopsy as a method to refine and thereby improve nodal staging in breast cancer. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The internal mammary lymph node status is a major prognostic factor in breast cancer. If positive, prognosis is less favorable. However, staging this regional nodal basin is not performed routinely, thus discarding additional staging information. METHODS: In a consecutive series of 256 patients with primary breast cancer, sentinel node biopsy was performed based on lymphoscintigraphy, intraoperative gamma probe detection, and blue dye mapping using 10 mCi (370 MBq) (99m)Tc-nanocolloid injected peritumorally and 0.5 to 1.0 mL Patent Blue V injected intradermally. During surgery, whenever possible, both axillary and internal mammary sentinel nodes were sampled. RESULTS: Lymphoscintigraphy showed axillary sentinel nodes in 95% (243/256) and additional internal mammary sentinel nodes in 25.3% (65/256). The overall success rate of axillary sentinel node biopsy was 97% (249/256). Sampling the internal mammary basin, based on the results of lymphoscintigraphy, was successful in 63% (41/65). In three patients a small pleural lesion resulted from staging this basin. This technique revealed internal mammary metastases in 26.8% (11/41). In 7.3% (3/41), internal mammary nodes showed metastatic involvement without accompanying axillary metastases. CONCLUSIONS: Internal mammary sentinel node biopsy is feasible without serious additional complications. It improves nodal staging in breast cancer by identifying higher-risk subgroups with internal mammary nodal metastases, which might benefit from altered adjuvant treatment regimens.     

Lymphatic Mapping of the Breast: Locating the Sentinel Lymph Nodes

When the concept of sentinel lymph node biopsy was described in patients with melanoma, researchers quickly started to use lymphatic mapping techniques in breast cancer patients in an attempt to locate the sentinel node in the axilla. We have been performing mammary lymphoscintigraphy in this role for 6 years and have now studied 159 patients. Like others, we have found that most breast cancers (93%) have lymphatic drainage that includes the axilla, and we have found an average of 1.4 axillary sentinel nodes in these patients. Surgical biopsy of the axillary sentinel nodes accurately staged the node field in 96% of patients. We have also found, however, that the pattern of lymphatic drainage from the cancer site is unpredictable; and in 49% of patients lymphatic drainage occurred across the center line of the breast to axillary or internal mammary sentinel nodes. In more than half of our patients (56%) lymphatic drainage occurred to lymph nodes outside the axilla including the internal mammary (45%), supraclavicular (13%), and interpectoral and intramammary interval nodes (12%). These nodes are also sentinel nodes, and their presence indicates that a sentinel node biopsy procedure that stages only the status of the axillary lymph nodes has the potential to understage about half the patients with breast cancer. High quality lymphoscintigraphy allows accurate mapping of peritumoral lymphatic drainage in most patients with breast cancer. It is possible that in the future accurate nodal staging in each individual will involve biopsy of all sentinel lymph nodes, regardless of their location.     

The Reproducibility in Routine Clinical Practice of Sentinel Lymph Node Identification by Pre-operative Lymphoscintigraphy in Patients with Cutaneous Melanoma

Pre-operative lymphoscintigraphy (LS) is an important part of successful sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in most melanoma treatment centers. The test accurately maps lymphatic drainage from cutaneous melanoma sites and has been shown to be reproducible in prospective studies. Its reproducibility has not been tested, however, in routine clinical practice. Occasionally, after LS has been performed to map the location of SLNs, the patient is unable to proceed to SLN biopsy surgery within the time limit imposed by the radioactive decay of the 99mTc label attached to the colloid particles. In this situation, the surgery is rescheduled and LS repeated to relabel the SLNs so that they may be accurately biopsied. This has happened on 21 occasions at the Sydney Melanoma Unit and we have performed a retrospective analysis of the reproducibility of the LS results. In 19 patients, the same SLNs were shown in the same locations on the two studies. Two patients had discrepant results. One showed two extra interval nodes on the back as well as concordant flow to SLNs in each axilla. The other with a leg melanoma showed the same groin SLNs but failed to relabel the two popliteal SLNs on the second study. SLN locations were identical during 95%, and SLNs were identical 94% of the time. These results indicate that in routine clinical practice LS is a highly reproducible procedure to locate and radiolabel the SLNs prior to biopsy in patients with melanoma.     

Surgical Management of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Outside Major Nodal Basin in Patients with Cutaneous Melanoma

Purpose

To assess the incidence of nonmajor lymphatic basin sentinel nodes in patients with cutaneous melanoma in order to propose a correct nomenclature and inform appropriate surgical management.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of 1,045 consecutive patients with cutaneous melanoma who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy and dynamic lymphoscintigraphy to identify sentinel node site. Nonmajor drainage sites were classified as uncommon (located in a minor lymphatic basin along the lymphatic drainage to a major classical nodal basin) or interval (located anywhere along the lymphatics between the primary tumor site and the nearest lymphatic basin) sentinel nodes.

Results

Nonclassical sentinel nodes were identified in 32 patients (3.0 %). Uncommon sentinel nodes were identified in 3.2 % (n = 17) of trunk melanoma primary disease and in 1.5 % (n = 7) of upper and lower extremity sites. Interval sentinel nodes were identified in 1.3 % (n = 7) of trunk primary lesions, with none from upper and lower extremities melanomas. The incidence of tumor-positive sentinel nodes was 24.1 % (245 of 1,013) in classical sites and 12.5 % (4 of 32) in uncommon/interval sites.

Conclusions

The definition of uncommon and interval sentinel nodes allows the identification of different lymphatic pathways and inform appropriate surgical treatment. Wider experience with uncommon/interval sentinel nodes will better clarify the clinical implications and surgical management to be adopted in the management of uncommon and interval sentinel node sites.     

Lymphoscintigraphy in penile cancer: limited value of sentinel node biopsy in patients with clinically suspicious lymph nodes

The staging lymph node dissection in patients with penile carcinoma is accompanied with a high morbidity. As many patients are free of nodal metastases the lymphoscintigraphic sentinel node biopsy is supposed to minimize perioperative morbidity in these patients. In the current study the accuracy of the lymphoscintigraphic sentinel node biopsy was verified against the gold standard of radical inguinal dissection. In particular, patients with enlarged lymph nodes have also been included since one half of these patients is known to have histologically negative lymph nodes. Between 2000 and 2004 fifteen patients with penile carcinoma were elected to undergo bilateral groin dissection, thus 30 inguinal areas have been dissected. Nine patients have had clinically palpable nodes. All patients underwent lymphoscintigraphy after injection of Tc99-nanocolloid subcutaneously into the peritumoral area. Intraoperatively the sentinel nodes were identified with the aid of a gamma ray detection probe and excised. Afterwards a standard groin dissection was performed and the different lymph nodes were histopathologically assessed separately. In all patients lymph nodes with high radioactivity uptake were detected bilaterally. In 10 out of 30 inguinal areas histopathologically positive lymph nodes were present. In four of them the sentinel node was positive for tumor but in six dissection areas lymph node metastases were found despite a negative sentinel node. These patients had clinically palpable lymph nodes in their histologically positive inguinal regions. If no palpable nodes were present dynamic sentinel biopsy detected the positive nodes. The current study showed that dynamic sentinel node biopsy in patients with clinically suspicious lymph nodes is of low value for detection of lymphatic spread in penile cancer. Therefore the gold standard in these patients remains the radical groin dissection. However, dynamic sentinel node biospy is still a promising strategy to identify lymphatic spreading in clinically N0 patients and therefore to prevent unnecessary groin dissection.     

Sentinel node biopsy in vulvar and vaginal melanoma: presentation of six cases and a literature review

Background Urogenital melanoma is a rare neoplasm with poor prognosis. Its management in the past involved radical vulvectomy and complete bilateral inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is an accurate low-morbidity procedure when used in the context of cutaneous melanoma. However, prophylactic lymphadenectomy has not been shown to improve survival of melanoma patients. We wanted to determine the feasibility of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with female urogenital melanoma as a staging procedure. Methods Six patients with vulvar or vaginal melanomas underwent preoperative lymphatic mapping with^99mTc-labeled sulfur colloid followed by sentinel lymphadenectomy. In addition, we reviewed the literature on the application of sentinel lymph node biopsy in urogenital tract melanomas. Results One or more sentinel nodes were identified in all six patients by lymphoscintigraphy. All patients underwent sentinel lymphadenectomy, except for one patient with a deep vaginal melanoma that drained to pelvic nodes. The five successful cases had unilateral drainage patterns. None of the sentinel lymph nodes excised had tumor invasion. Combined with five other patients from the published literature, the success rate of localizing sentinel lymph nodes in the patients with urogenital melanoma approaches 100%. Conclusions This experience, plus reports of a small number of patients from three similar studies, supports the impression that sentinel lymph node biopsy is feasible for vulvar and vaginal melanoma.     

Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging with Lymphoscintigraphy for Sentinel Node Biopsy in Melanoma: Increasing the Sentinel Lymph Node-Positive Rate

Annals of Surgical Oncology - The goal of this study was to analyze patients who underwent a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in melanoma with the combination of radioisotope lymphoscintigraphy...     

Feasibility of Sentinel Node Biopsy in Head and Neck Melanoma Using a Hybrid Radioactive and Fluorescent Tracer

Purpose

This study was designed to examine the feasibility of combining lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative sentinel node identification in patients with head and neck melanoma by using a hybrid protein colloid that is both radioactive and fluorescent.

Methods

Eleven patients scheduled for sentinel node biopsy in the head and neck region were studied. Approximately 5?h before surgery, the hybrid nanocolloid labeled with indocyanine green (ICG) and technetium-99m (^99mTc) was injected intradermally in four deposits around the scar of the primary melanoma excision. Subsequent lymphoscintigraphy and single photon emission computed tomography with computed tomography (SPECT/CT) were performed to identify the sentinel nodes preoperatively. In the operating room, patent blue dye was injected in 7 of the 11 patients. Intraoperatively, sentinel nodes were acoustically localized with a gamma ray detection probe and visualized by using patent blue dye and/or fluorescence-based tracing with a dedicated near-infrared light camera. A portable gamma camera was used before and after sentinel node excision to confirm excision of all sentinel nodes.

Results

A total of 27 sentinel nodes were preoperatively identified on the lymphoscintigraphy and SPECT/CT images. All sentinel nodes could be localized intraoperatively. In the seven patients in whom blue dye was used, 43% of the sentinel nodes stained blue, whereas all were fluorescent. The portable gamma camera identified additional sentinel nodes in two patients. Ex vivo, all radioactive lymph nodes were fluorescent and vice versa, indicating the stability of the hybrid tracer.

Conclusions

ICG?C^99mTc-nanocolloid allows for preoperative sentinel node visualization and concomitant intraoperative radio- and fluorescence guidance to the same sentinel nodes in head and neck melanoma patients.