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Updated: May 10, 2026
Single-port Non-liposuction Endoscopic Axillary Lymph Node Dissection in Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: April 3, 2026
Breast cancer patient with an uncommon lymphatic drainage evidenced by SPECT/CT
David Groheux1, Romuald Ferré, Domenico Rubello
1From the *Department of Nuclear Medicine, Saint-Louis Hospital, Paris, France; †Nuclear Medicine Service, PET Unit, Santa Maria della Misericordia, Rovigo Hospital, Rovigo, Italy; ‡Department of Nuclear Medicine, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, CHU Bordeaux, University Bordeaux-Segalen, Bordeaux, France; and §B2T, Doctoral School, IUH, University of Paris VII, France.
Abstract:
SPECT/CT reinforces the role of lymphoscintigraphy in breast cancer by solving some cases with difficult reading on planar scintigraphy. An 80-year-old woman was referred to our institution for management of a screen-detected, nonpalpable, invasive lobular carcinoma of lower inner quadrant of the left breast. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed before surgery. Planar images showed an axillary sentinel node and 2 medially located hot spots. SPECT/CT allowed determining that one of the extra-axillary drainage sites was to the internal mammary basin, while the second corresponded to a mediastinal lymph node. Although this drainage was unexpected, mediastinum is a common site of breast cancer recurrence.