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Updated: Oct 10, 2025
Integrating Augmented Reality Tools in Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema Prognostication and Diagnosis
Published on: February 6, 2020
Preventing Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: Feasibility of Axillary Reverse Mapping Technique
Alexandra Caziuc1, Diana Schlanger2, Giorgiana Amarinei1
11st Surgical Clinic, Surgical Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj Napoca, 400006 Cluj Napoca, Romania.
Introduction:
Our study aimed to determine the feasibility of axillary reverse mapping (ARM) technique, the identification rate of ARM nodes and their metastatic involvement, as well as to identify the factors that influence the identification and metastatic involvement.
Material And Methods:
In total, 30 breast cancer patients scheduled for axillary lymph node dissection were enrolled in our study. The lymphatic nodes that drain the arm were identified by injecting 1 mL of blue dye in the ipsilateral upper arm; then, the ARM nodes were resected along with the other lymph nodes and sent for histological evaluation.
Results:
Identification of ARM node was successful in 18 patients (60%) and 22.22% of the identified ARM lymph nodes had metastatic involvement. Patients with identified ARM nodes had a significant lower BMI and a statistically significant relationship between axillary lymph node status and ARM node metastases was proven. Most of ARM lymph nodes (96.3%) were found above the intercostobrachial nerve, under the axillary vein and lateral to the thoracodorsal bundle.
Conclusions:
The ARM procedure is easy to reproduce but might not be appropriate for patients with a high BMI. The rate of metastatic involvement of ARM nodes is significant and no factor can predict it, showing that the preservation of these nodes cannot be considered.
