Background: Core needle biopsy (CNB) plays an important role in the preoperative axillary lymph node (ALN) assessment in breast cancer (BC) patients with the development of treatment, but little is known about the axillary lymph flow after CNB of ALNs. This study aimed to investigate the changes of lymphatic flow after CNB of sentinel lymph node (SLN) in a rabbit model.
Methods: The axillary SLN was biopsied in a rabbit model, and the changes of sentinel lymph flow were observed by methylthioninium chloride imaging at 1 and 12 days after the biopsy. Furthermore, the afferent lymphatic vessel was ligated and imaged once every 3 days to assess the changes of lymphatic flow.
Results: The SLN biopsied was characterized by disorganized medullary sinus containing erythrocytes, whereas clean medullary sinus containing a normal population of circulating lymphoid cells was observed in the contralateral normal SLN. At 1 day after biopsy, the sentinel lymphatic drainage was blocked. At 12 days after biopsy, the sentinel lymphatic flow was reconstructed or repaired. Ligation of afferent lymphatic vessel further confirmed the reconstruction of lymphatic flow.
Conclusions: The sentinel lymphatic flow changes after CNB in a rabbit model, but it can be reconstructed or repaired.
Keywords: Breast cancer (BC); core needle biopsy (CNB); lymphatic flow; sentinel lymph node (SLN).