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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Multispectral Real-time Fluorescence Imaging for Intraoperative Detection of the Sentinel Lymph Node in Gynecologic Oncology
Published on: October 20, 2010
Sentinel lymph node mapping in melanoma with technetium-99m dextran
Purpose:
The aim of this work is to evaluate the capability of Tc99m B Dextran as a lymphoscintigraphic agent in the detection of the sentinel node in skin lesions.
Materials And Methods:
Forty-one patients with melanomas (39) and Merkel cell tumors (2) had perilesional intradermal injection of Tc99m-Dextran 2 hours before surgery. Serial gamma camera images and a handheld gamma probe were used to direct sentinel node biopsy.
Results:
In 39/41 patients, lymph channels and 52 sentinel nodes (one to three sentinel nodes/patient) could be visualized. In one patient, with a dorsal melanoma, no lymph channels or lymph nodes could be demonstrated on the images and only minimal radioactivity was found in the regional nodes with the probe. Another patient with a facial lesion failed to demonstrate lymph channels or nodes. No adverse reactions were observed.
Conclusion:
Tc99m-Dextran provided good definition of lymph channels and sentinel node localization, without the risks related to the use of potentially hazardous labeled materials of biological origin.
