The impact of nodal tumour burden on lymphoscintigraphic imaging in patients with melanomas.

Purpose: To retrospectively study the influence of nodal tumour burden on lymphoscintigraphic imaging in 509 consecutive patients with melanomas.

Methods: Bidirectional lymphatic drainage, the clear depiction of an afferent lymphatic vessel, time to depiction of the first sentinel lymph node (SLN) and number of depicted and excised nodes were recorded. Nodal tumour load was classified as SLN-negative, SLN micrometastases or macrometastases.

The popliteal fossa - a problem zone for sentinel lymphonodectomy.

Background: The impact of lymphatic drainage to popliteal sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) has yet to be explored in detail.

Patients And Methods: We performed lymphoscintigraphy on 663 patients with cutaneous melanomas. The following day sentinel lymphonodectomy was performed.