[Pathological work-up and assessment of sentinel lymph nodes in melanoma patients]

This review summarizes data related to the pathological assessment and interpretation issues of sentinel lymph nodes in melanoma patients. After a short description of conventional nodal staging of melanoma, separate sections deal with detailed analysis of sentinel nodes, the use of immunohistochemistry, molecular analysis of occult metastases and the possibilities and limitations of intraoperative assessment. Possible pitfalls of each method are also discussed. Finally, research areas related to sentinel nodes are highlighted, too.