Biomedical subjects

G Agnese

Publications and source records attributed to G Agnese.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Localization of the sentinel lymph node in breast cancer by combined lymphoscintigraphy, blue dye and intraoperative gamma probe.

Axillary lymph node status represents the most important prognostic factor in patients with operable breast cancer. A severe limitation of this technique is the relatively high rate of false negative sentinel lymph nodes (>5%). We studied 284 patients suffering from breast cancer; 264 had T1 tumors (16 T1a, 37 T1b and 211 T1c), while 20 had T2 tumors. All patients underwent lymphoscintigraphy 18-h before surgery. At surgery, 0.5 mL of patent blue violet was injected subdermally, and the sentinel lymph node (SN) was searched by gamma probe and by the dye method. The surgically isolated SN was processed for intraoperative and delayed examinations. The SN was successfully identified by the combined radioisotopic procedure and patent blue dye technique in 278/284 cases (97.9%). Analysis of the predictive value of the SN in relation to the status of the axillary lymph nodes was limited to 191 patients undergoing standard axillary dissection irrespective of the SN status. Overall, 63/191 (33%) identified SNs were metastatic, the SN alone being involved in 37/63 (58.7%) patients; a positive axillary status with negative SN was found in 10/73 (13.7%) patients with metastatic involvement. In T1a-T1b patients the SN turned out to be metastatic in 9/53 patients (17.0%). In 7/9 patients the SN was the only site of metastasis, while in 2/9 patients other axillary lymph nodes were found to be metastatic in addition to the SN. None of the 44 patients in whom the SN proved to be non-metastatic showed any metastatic involvement of other axillary lymph nodes. Our results demonstrate a good predictive value of SN biopsy in patients with breast cancer; the predictive value was excellent in those subjects with nodules smaller than 1 cm.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Different sites and modes of tracer injection for mapping the sentinel lymph node in patients with breast cancer.

Several studies have been published describing the techniques of identification of the "sentinel lymph node" (SN). There are marked differences in the techniques used by different investigators. Although agreement exists about the tracer particle size and the volume of injection, it is unknown what is the best site where to inject the tracer or the vital dye. The aim of the present study was to define the influence of different sites of injection on imaging of the lymphatic ducts and their SNs. We performed a pilot study in 30 consecutive patients with breast cancer who underwent SN biopsy by means of radioguided surgery and vital blue dye mapping. The patients were divided into six groups of five patients each; each patient was given a subdermal (ID) or peritumoral (IP) injection of radiotracer (300 microCi in 150 mL of 99mTc-HSA microcolloids; Albures, Amersham Sorin) above the tumor site in order to localize the SN. After the identification of the SN, a second injection of radiotracer was performed, which was different in each patient subset. In some cases more than one lymph node appeared on the lymphoscintigraphic scans after the second injection of radiotracer. When the peritumoral route was used it took longer to visualize the lymphatic pathways. For the ID route, injection at the exact skin projection over the tumor is optimal. Internal mammary lymph nodes were identified by both IP (2) and ID (1) injection, irrespective of the quadrant in which the tracer was injected. Our findings support the hypothesis of a precise topographic correspondence between the primary tumor and its specific SN. The subdermal route is more accurate than the intraparenchymal route, as it allows faster identification of the lymphatic vessels and SN. We believe these observations should be taken into account for the proper selection of the injection site of either vital dye or radiopharmaceuticals.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mapping the sentinel lymph node in malignant melanoma by blue dye, lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative gamma probe.

Eighty-eight consecutive patients (48 men and 40 women; mean age, 58.9 years; range, 16-84 years) with clinically localized cutaneous melanoma involving the trunk, extremities or head and neck underwent lymphatic mapping at our institution. The primary melanoma had a mean thickness of 2.74 mm (range, 0.95 to 9 mm). Patients were divided into two groups: group A (39 patients) underwent only vital blue dye (VBD) mapping, while group B (49 patients) underwent lymphatic mapping with VBD and radio-guided surgery (RGS) combined. In all patients 1-1.5 mL of VBD was injected subdermally around the biopsy scar 10-20 min before surgery. In group B 37 MBq in 150 microL of 99mTc-HSA nanocolloid was additionally injected intradermally 18 h before surgery (3-6 aliquots injected perilesionally). In all lymphatic basins where drainage was noted the sentinel lymph nodes (SNs) were identified and marked with a cutaneous marker. Final identification of the SN was then performed externally by a hand-held gamma probe. After the induction of anesthesia 0.5-1-0 mL of patent blue V dye was injected intradermally with a 25-gauge needle around the site of the primary melanoma. SNs were examined by routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemistry. Patients with histologically positive SN(s) underwent standard lymph node dissection (SLND) in the involved lymph node basin. The SN was identified in 37/39 patients (94.9%) of group A and in 48/49 patients (98.0%) of group B. Blue dye mapping failed to identify the SN in 5 of the 88 patients (5.8%), while the radioisotope method failed in only 1 of 49 patients (2.0%). Similar results were obtained with the combined use of the two probes. The average number of SNs harvested was 1.9 per basin sampled, which does not differ significantly from the numbers reported by other authors. The SN was histologically positive in 18 patients (20.5%). None of the 12 patients with a Breslow thickness less than 1.5 mm had positive SNs, whereas 18 of the 77 patients (23.4%) with a Breslow index exceeding 1.5 mm showed metastatic SNs with H&E or immunohistochemistry. The latter all underwent SLND of the affected basin. In 10 patients (55.6%) the SN was the only site of tumor invasion; eight patients (44.4%) with positive SNs had one or more metastatic lymph nodes in the draining basin.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Definition of normal values in medicine].

The definition of the normal values of quantitative characters is discussed. Three distinct types of normality: statistical, biological and epidemiological, are examined. A method postulating the presence of several Gaussian components, one of which represents the truly normal population, in a heterogeneous population, is proposed for the statistical analysis of frequency distribution. Examples are given of the application of a relatively simple and effective graphical-numerical process. In the light of the preliminary results, systematic adoption of the process is suggested, not only for the definition of normal values in the sense of biological normality, but also in the comparison of patients and healthy subjects, whereby epidemiological normality can be defined by means of discriminant analysis. Lastly, the possibility of defining normal values for groups of variables is considered.

Biometry↗

PubMedDate not supplied