Internal mammary lymphoscintigraphy: a rational adjunct to the staging and management of breast carcinoma

Radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy utilising the bilateral subcostal introduction into the posterior rectus sheath of a small volume of radiocolloid of suitable particle size (99mTc antimony colloid) has provided scintigraphic images of diagnostic quality of the parasternal nodes in 2328 patients with malignant disease. An evaluation of the use of this technique in 1072 patients with breast carcinoma underlines the value of a procedure which, utilised routinely, should alter conventional staging criteria and provide a more rational basis for the management of patients with breast carcinoma and assessment of end results.