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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Murine Superficial Lymph Node Surgery
Published on: May 21, 2012
Unexpected black-stained lymph nodes: A case report
Hao Chen1, Yibo Huang2, Feng Wang1
1Division of Gastric Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China.
Background And Importance:
Currently, radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer is usually combined with lymph node tracing technology to ensure the complete removal of metastatic lymph nodes. Our case demonstrates that bismuth compounds may be useful as lymph node tracers in radical gastrectomy.
Case Presentation:
A 37-year-old man who was confirmed the diagnosis of gastric cancer was found to have black-stained lymph nodes during the surgical resection. The patient's medication history, pathological analysis and Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) confirmed the presence of dark particle deposited in the black-stained lymph nodes and the black particles were likely some form of bismuth compound.
Clinical Discussion:
At present, lymph node tracers used in clinical practice have certain unavoidable limitations. It is necessary to discover new lymph node tracers.
Conclusion:
our case highlights a new potential avenue for the development of lymph node tracers in radical gastrectomy. However, it is essential to remain vigilant regarding the possible adverse consequences of overdose in clinical practice.
