Lymphoscintigraphy in the detection of cervical metastases from oral carcinoma: a pilot study

This paper reports the findings of a pilot study in which a radioisotope technique was used in the detection of cervical metastases in patients with histologically proven oral squamous cell carcinomata. Sixteen patients were assessed with the technique after diagnosis and then examined after an interval of not less than 6 months for evidence of palpable cervical-lymph nodes. Eight of the patients subsequently underwent radical neck dissection. Comparing the radioisotope technique to the clinical findings and surgery revealed a high incidence of false-positives. However, since 11 of the patients received chemotherapy, it may be that the false-positive results reflect regression of disease caused by chemotherapy. The 11 patients did not show evidence of any other pathology in the neck. This technique, with further refinement, could be a useful diagnostic tool to screen cervical metastases that are below the threshold of manual palpation, since early identification of neck cervical nodes is crucial to the treatment plan and management.