Objective: To study the feasibility and clinical value of 13th lymph nodes in predicting general lymph nodes metastases for periampullary carcinoma.
Methods: A total of 77 patients with pathologically confirmed periampullary carcinoma were recruited. And 26 (18 males and 8 females, age 38-79 years) of them underwent Whipple procedures during which 1% methylene blue or nanogate carbon was injected into tumor bed. The other 51 patients as controls (33 males, 18 females, age 38-78 years) . The dyed 13th lymph nodes were biopsied. Then routine lymphadenectomy was performed and their pathological results were analyzed.
Results: In the experimental group, the lymph node drainage area of cancer was identified. However, in contrast with 51 patients in the control group, the labeling of 13th lymph nodes did not significantly increase the number of cleaned lymph nodes (15.8 (3-54) vs 17.6 (6-40) , P = 0.460).
Conclusion: 13th lymph nodes are non-suitable as sentinels for predicting general lymph nodes metastases of periampullary carcinoma.