Background: Combined use of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy, intraoperative detection of gamma radiation and intraoperative blue-dye staining allow for identification of sentinel node in 94%-100% of skin melanoma patients.
Objectives: To assess the influence of clinical factors on the progress of preoperative lympho-scintigraphy, intraoperative detection of gamma radiation and intraoperative blue-dye staining, during sentinel node biopsy procedure in skin melanoma patients.
Material and methods: From 1.12.1999 to 30.06.2001 in Department of Surgical Oncology, Medical University of Lódź, in 74 patients with skin melanoma, sentinel node biopsy was performed. Analysis comprised the influence of: age, sex, skin complexion of patients, diameter of primary tumor, presence of ulceration in primary tumor and location of primary tumor, on progress of parts of sentinel node biopsy.
Results: In subgroup of patients in whom time of sentinel node identification during preoperative lympho-scintigraphy was longer than 10 minutes, statistically significant relationship was found between time of identification and location of primary tumor (p < 0.05). The time was shortest in patients with primary tumor located on lower extremity and was the longest in patients with primary tumor located on head and neck. Statistically significant correlation was found between skin complexion and degree of sentinel node staining. In all red haired patients with light skin complexion full staining of sentinel node was observed. In patients with dark skin complexion full staining of sentinel node was observed only in 61.5% of cases. There was no statistical relationship between remaining clinical features and progress of preoperative lympho-scintigraphy, intraoperative detection of gamma radiation and intraoperative blue-dye staining.
Conclusions: The time of identification of sentinel node during preoperative lympho-scintigraphy is related to location of primary tumor. The progress of intraoperative detection of gamma radiation is not related to studied clinical features. Degree of sentinel node staining is related to skin complexion of patient.