Uterine lymphatic drainage is unaffected from injection technique and operators: Identical sentinel node detection in two cases of endometrial cancer.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Sentinel node (SN) mapping with cervical injection of 99m-technetium (99mTc) albumin nanocolloid in early endometrial cancer has been shown to be feasible and data emerging from recent large series support the incorporation of SN mapping algorithm in endometrial cancer staging. PRESENTATION OF CASE We report two cases of SN mapping which demonstrated identical migration of both radioactive technetium and blue dye in the same patients that were re-injected because surgical intervention was postponed due to transitory cardiac contraindications. DISCUSSION: As clearly demonstrated in cervical cancer, SN mapping through intracervical injection of both radioactive technetium and blue dye seems to be effective and easy to perform, providing good results in patients with endometrial cancer. Our report highlights the reproducibility of SN mapping that has been strongly confirmed in both patients, even if re-injections were performed by different operators. Preoperative SPECT/CT imaging seems to enhance accuracy in SN localization and also improves its intraoperative detection in early endometrial cancer. CONCLUSION: The anatomically defined bilateral uterus drainage strongly confirms the reproducibility of SN mapping, that seems to be unaffected by after injection technique or operators.