Vitamin B2 as a tracer for intraoperative pulmonary sentinel node navigation surgery

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Surgical Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Intraoperative pulmonary sentinel node mapping is crucial for staging lung cancer.
• Current methods for sentinel lymph node identification can be improved.
• Fluorescent agents are being explored as potential tracers for this procedure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate vitamin B2 as a fluorescent tracer for pulmonary sentinel node mapping.
• To compare the efficacy of vitamin B2 against fluorescent beads and green fluorescent protein (GFP).

Main Methods:

• Four pigs underwent injection of vitamin B2, fluorescent beads, or GFP into the pulmonary parenchyma.
• Safety of each tracer was assessed in 12 rats.
• Sentinel lymph node identification and tracer dispersion/fluorescence were evaluated.

Main Results:

• Sentinel lymph nodes were identified in 75% of pigs across all tracer groups.
• Vitamin B2 demonstrated superior speed of dispersion and fluorescence intensity compared to GFP and beads.
• All tested tracers were safe, with no complications in rats; beads showed limited vascular dispersion.

Conclusions:

• Vitamin B2 is a safe, inexpensive, and effective agent for pulmonary sentinel node mapping.
• Its properties suggest potential for successful clinical application in intraoperative procedures.
• Further research may validate vitamin B2 as a standard tracer in lung cancer surgery.