[Lymphoscintigraphy and internal breast curettage in breast cancer. Comparison of results. 32 cases]

Thirty-two women with breast cancer considered in active phase underwent, successively: internal mammary lymphoscintigraphy with 99m rhenium sulfide, chemotherapy and Pathey-type mastectomy with dissection of the axillary and internal mammary lymph nodes. Lymphoscintigraphy was successful in 97% of the cases, without complications. Its specificity was 0.88 (range: 0.76--0.99) and the sensitivity 0.6 (range: 0.19--0.92). Internal mammary lymph node dissection was technically successful in 87.5% of the cases; one patient developed chondritis. Thus, lymphoscintigraphy is usually successful, without morbidity and specific. However, it cannot pretend to provide a complete answer, as does internal mammary producing invaded lymph nodes.