Pitfalls in Cutaneous Melanoma Lymphatic Drainage

• Published in: Chirurgia (Bucharest, Romania : 1990) Vol. 111; no. 1; pp. 87 - 89
• Main Authors: Voinea, Silviu, Sandru, Angela, Gherghe, Mirela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Romania 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Aged; Biopsy; Humans; Lymphatic Vessels - diagnostic imaging; Lymphoscintigraphy - methods; Male; Melanoma - diagnostic imaging; Melanoma - pathology; Melanoma - surgery; Melanoma, Cutaneous Malignant; Neoplasm Staging; Predictive Value of Tests; Preoperative Care; Prognosis; Radiopharmaceuticals; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; Skin Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Skin Neoplasms - pathology; Skin Neoplasms - surgery; Thoracic Wall - diagnostic imaging; Thoracic Wall - pathology
• ISSN: 1221-9118

Sentinel node (SN) biopsy has become standard in staging of cutaneous melanoma. As skin lymphatic drainage is complex, preoperative empirical assessment of SN localization is virtually impossible. Therefore in order to identify all regional lymphatic basins corresponding to a specific primary tumor is mandatory to carry out preoperative lymphoscintigraphy. In this paper we present a clinical case that highlights the importance of identifying, biopsy and histological analysis of all SN in order to achieve a correct staging of the patient, followed by appropriate treatment according to the real clinical stage of the disease.