Mapping sentinel lymph nodes in cutaneous melanoma: a vast array of perioperative imaging modalities

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a decisive step in the staging process of melanoma, critically impacting patients' oncological outcome and driving the decision-making process. SLNB limits the extent of the dissection in cases where no metastases are found. Conversely, when metastases are detected, SLNB has the potential to improve regional control of the disease when complete lymphadenectomy or early administration of adjuvant treatment are indicated. Thus, accurately identifying sentinel lymph nodes represents an important prognostic factor. Several strategies have been studied, including novel procedures that are not commonly used in the clinical setting. This review highlights the different tracers, preoperative and intraoperative imaging modalities studied to perform SLNB in cutaneous melanoma. The development of innovative modalities has been fueled by a need to optimize current approaches, offering new alternatives that can overcome some of the limitations of the standard method.