Sentinel node detection in a patient with recurrent endometrial cancer initially treated by hysterectomy and...

This is the first article reporting sentinel node identification in a patient with endometrial cancer recurring in the vagina. A 79-year-old woman presented with a midvaginal recurrence of a stage IB, grade II endometroid carcinoma that had been treated 3 years earlier by a total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingoophorectomy, and pelvic lymph node sampling, followed by adjuvant brachytherapy to the vaginal vault. A staging examination under anesthetic was performed. Preoperatively, 60-MBq technetium-labeled nannocolloid was injected in the mucosa at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock just adjacent to the tumor recurrence. Three sentinel nodes were detected, respectively, in the left obturator fossa (two) and the right external iliac region, using a laparoscopic probe (Navigator) and removed for pathological assessment. As they proved to be negative, the patient underwent a total vaginectomy, parametrectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. The tumor was completely removed, and all lymph nodes proved to be negative. The accuracy of sentinel node identification in patients with recurrent gynecological tumors needs further evaluation. This unique case shows that sentinel node detection is possible after previous radiotherapy and surgery and hopes to stimulate further research in this field.