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At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

Lymph node tumor volumes in patients undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy for cutaneous melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Regional lymph node tumor volumes in patients undergoing sentinel lymph node (SN) biopsy (SNB) for treatment of cutaneous melanoma have not been described. The objectives of this study were to describe the lymph node tumor volumes typically seen in this population and to correlate tumor volumes with tumor thickness and positive SN characteristics. METHODS: Review of a consecutive series of patients with clinically localized cutaneous melanoma who underwent SNB of nonpalpable regional lymph node basins followed by complete lymphadenectomy (LND) was performed. Multiple lymph node sections from positive SNs and nonsentinel nodes (NSNs) in LND specimens were examined microscopically. Individual tumor deposit diameters were measured using an ocular micrometer. Aggregate tumor volumes were calculated for SN and LND specimens. Tumor volumes and SN and LND positivity rates were correlated with tumor thickness, the number of positive SNs, and the presence of multiple SN tumor deposits. RESULTS: SNB procedures were performed for 149 melanomas in 189 regional nodal basins. The mean tumor depth was 2.48 mm. The mean number of SNs/basin was 2.1. Thirty-two of 149 SNB procedures (21.5%) revealed a total of 34 nodal basins with at least one positive SN. The median tumor volume in positive SNs was 4.7 mm3 (range, 0.1-3618 mm3; mean, 209 mm3). The median aggregate tumor volume in positive LND specimens was 4.9 mm3 (range, 0.1-3618 mm3; mean, 224 mm3). Six basins (17.6%) contained at least one positive NSN. The regional node aggregate tumor volume correlated weakly with tumor thickness (Pearson's correlation coefficient = .302, P = .0934). NSN positivity was not predicted by tumor thickness, American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor stage, number of positive SNs, or number of metastatic deposits within SNs. CONCLUSIONS: Most melanoma-positive SNs contain minute tumor volumes. Tumor thickness and patterns of SN metastases may not be predictive of tumor burden or the presence of positive NSNs.

Biopsy↗

The migration of lymphocytes across specialized vascular endothelium. VI. The migratory behaviour of thoracic duct lymphocytes retransferred from the lymph nodes, spleen, blood, or lymph of a primary recipient.

Thoracic duct lymphocytes labelled with 51Cr were injected into a primary recipient and then were transferred for a second time from the lymph nodes (cervical and/or mesenteric), spleen, lymph, or blood into a series of final recipients. Measurement of the organ distribution of labelled lymphocytes in the final recipients enabled three main conclusions to be drawn. (1) Lymphocytes that had localized in the spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes (LN), or cervical LN of the first recipient showed no tendency to return in increased numbers to the same organ in the final recipient. (2) Lymphocytes that had recently entered the spleen or LN were temporarily impaired in their ability to reenter LN. This capacity was recharged when the cells returned to the lymph and the blood. (3) Lymphocytes that had been passaged from blood to lymph and collected for up to 4 hr at room temperature entered the LN of a recipient much faster than did nonpassaged thoracic duct lymphocytes collected overnight at 0 degree C. Supplementary experiments indicated that the different migratory behavior of thoracic duct lymphocytes under these two circumstances was mainly a consequence of their handling in vitro during the collecting and the labelling procedures. This functional impairment was not associated with a diminished ability to enter the spleen and bone marrow or to survive in recipients for up to 24 hr.

Animals↗

Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with systemic lymph node dissection: a critical reappraisal from the viewpoint of lymph node retrieval.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopy-assisted surgery has proved useful in the treatment of early gastric cancer, but its use in advanced cancer may be hindered by limitations in lymphadenectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Data on lymph node retrieval after distal gastrectomy with D1 or D2 lymphadenectomy (n = 89) performed by the laparoscopy-assisted approach were collected between 1998 and 2002 and compared with data obtained from conventional open surgery performed for T1 cancer at a high-volume hospital (n = 342) during the same period. Comparisons of total number of lymph nodes, retrieval at each lymph node station, and the rate of noncompliance (no nodal tissue documented at a node station that should have been resected) were conducted using Student's t-test and the chi-square test. RESULTS: D2 resection by the laparoscopy-assisted approach harvested a sufficient number of nodes for adequate TNM classification (>15 nodes) in 86% of patients. Nevertheless, a significantly greater number of lymph nodes were harvested by open surgery. The difference was significant for the perigastric lymph nodes along the major curvature (Nos. 4 and 6) and second tier nodes along the celiac and splenic arteries (Nos. 9 and 11). CONCLUSIONS: The extent of lymphadenectomy achieved by current laparoscopic procedure approaches the global standard for accurate staging, although performing extended resection as recommended in Japan remains a challenge.

Feasibility Studies↗

Completion axillary lymph node dissection minimizes the likelihood of false negatives for patients with invasive breast carcinoma and cytokeratin positive only sentinel lymph nodes.

OBJECTIVE: To document the incidence of metastatic disease in complete axillary lymph node dissections (CALND) of patients with invasive carcinoma after a sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy, positive only by immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin (CK-IHC). METHODS: Sections of all SLNs, negative by routine histology, were immunostained and examined for cytokeratin positive cells. Sections of lymph nodes from CALND specimens were interpreted using routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. RESULTS: A total of 409 patients (29.6%) had metastatic disease in at least one sentinel lymph node on H&E examination. Of 971 H&E negative patients, 78 (8.0%) were positive only by CK-IHC. Sixty-two of the CK-IHC positive only patients underwent CALND. Nine of these 62 patients (14.5%) had metastases identified in the CALND specimen. CONCLUSIONS: Because 14.5% of patients with invasive breast cancer and SLNs positive only by CK-IHC were found to have H&E positive lymph nodes on CALND, we conclude first, that CK-IHC should be used to evaluate SLNs, and second, that CALND should be considered when SLNs are positive by CK-IHC only. This approach will result in an absolute reduction of the false negative rate (absolute false negative rate reduced by 2.6% in our series).

Adenocarcinoma↗

Predicting residual lymph node basin disease in melanoma patients with sentinel lymph node metastases.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of residual occult disease in nonsentinel lymph nodes (NSLN) after a positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in patients with melanoma is relatively low. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that may be predictive of occult NSLN metastases after positive SLN biopsy. METHODS: Fifty-six consecutive melanoma patients with positive sentinel nodes who subsequently underwent complete lymph node dissection (CLND) were evaluated. RESULTS: Only the number of positive SLN predicted the status on NSLN by univariate (P = 0.008) and multivariate (P = 0.028) analyses. None of the other variables (characteristics of SLN metastases, number of draining nodal basins, age, sex, thickness, Clark level, ulceration, number of mitoses/mm(2), histological subtype, and location of the primary) significantly predicted CLND results. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying patients with residual lymph node basin disease remains difficult. Thus, lymph node dissection should be performed in all patients after positive sentinel node biopsy.

Adolescent↗

Sentinel lymph node biopsy or detection of micrometastasis in bone marrow: which might be an alternative to axillary lymph node dissection in breast cancer patients?

Axillary lymph node status has limited prognostic significance in breast cancer patients and much improvement can be made. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is emerging as an alternative to axillary lymph node dissection for staging, but its prognostic relevance is still uncertain. Detection of micrometastases in sentinel nodes and bone marrow may provide more information, but the clinical significance still needs to be confirmed by ongoing large trials. In this review, we focus on the possibility of sentinel lymph node biopsy or detection of bone marrow micrometastasis replacing traditional axillary lymph node dissection.

Axilla↗

Sentinel lymph-node biopsy compared to axillary lymph-node dissection for axillary staging in breast cancer patients.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of sentinel lymph-node biopsy in breast cancer patients at our institution and to compare the results of sentinel node (SN) biopsy to standard axillary lymph-node dissection (ALND). METHODS: In a retrospective study the percentage of lymph-node positive patients and the number of micrometastases in 165 breast cancer patients following SN biopsy was compared to 195 patients who underwent ALND of level I and II without SN biopsy. The SN was identified using a combination of vital blue dye and a radiolabelled colloid. RESULTS: Patients and tumour characteristics were comparable between both groups. SN biopsy found no significant difference in the number of node positive T1 cancer patients (SN group: 31/108 (28.7%) -- ALND group: 21/92 (22.8%)) and T2 tumours (SN group: 27/57 (47.4%) -- ALND group: 49/103 (47.6%)) between both groups. Micrometastases were more frequently found in the SN group when compared to the ALND group (six of 70 positive nodes) (P=0.04). CONCLUSION: SN biopsy may be as accurate as standard axillary lymph-node dissection for the evaluation of the axillary lymph-node status in breast cancer patients.

Adult↗

Cytokeratin immunostaining patterns of benign, reactive lymph nodes: applications for the evaluation of sentinel lymph node specimen.

The use and interpretation of cytokeratin (CK) immunostains of sentinel lymph node specimens for breast carcinoma remain controversial. Variable immunoreactivity with anti-CK antibodies and CK-positive interstitial reticulum cells may complicate interpretation. The authors examined a series of reactive lymph nodes selected from patients without a history of malignancy. To demonstrate potential diagnostic pitfalls, three different CK antibody combinations were studied to characterize the immunostaining patterns. Formalin-fixed sections of lymph nodes were immunostained with a labeled streptavidin-biotin method using a DAKO autostainer. The anti-CK antibody preparations evaluated were AE1/AE3, CAM 5.2, and an in-house-prepared CK cocktail composed of 7 antibodies. The authors observed that up to 10% of cells in benign, reactive lymph nodes may be immunoreactive with anti-CK antibodies. AE1/AE3 stained 2 of 20 cases with rare immunoreactive reticulum cells, whereas CAM 5.2 and the CK cocktail immunostained cells in 85% of cases with reticulum cells in sinuses and the paracortex. Rare positive to 2+ cells were present in a similar distribution with these two antibodies. Careful interpretation of CK immunostaining of sentinel lymph node biopsies is essential, as is awareness of the presence of CK-positive native reticulum cells, to avoid confusion with single cells of metastatic carcinoma.

Adolescent↗

Detection of early lymph node metastases in prostate cancer by laparoscopic radioisotope guided sentinel lymph node dissection.

PURPOSE: Radioisotope guided sentinel lymph node (SLN) dissection (SLND) for prostate cancer has been shown to increase the sensitivity of detecting early metastases in open pelvic lymph node dissection. We developed a technique that allows SLND to be performed by laparoscopy in conjunction with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 71 consecutive patients SLND was performed by 1 surgeon preceding laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Mean preoperative prostate specific antigen was 8.88 ng/ml (range 2.1 to 25.4). At 24 hours prior to surgery 3 ml (200 MBq) Tc labeled human albumin colloid were injected into the prostate gland under transrectal ultrasound guidance. An especially designed laparoscopic gamma probe was used to measure radioactivity during surgery. SLNs were identified and removed. If frozen section analysis showed metastases, extended pelvic lymph node dissection was performed. RESULTS: Radioactivity was detected on 2, 1 and no sides in 50 (70.4%), 19 (26.7%) and 2 patients (2.8%), respectively. In 81 of the 142 pelvic side walls (54.7%) SLNs were exclusively outside of the obturator fossa. Histopathological examination showed metastases to SLNs in 9 patients (12.9%). Eight of the 11 detected metastases (72.7%) were outside of the obturator fossa. Lymph node metastases were exclusively found in Tc marked lymph nodes. Mean tumor size was 1.7 mm (range 0.2 to 3.9). CONCLUSIONS: SLND is feasible by laparoscopy. It detects micrometastases outside of the obturator fossa in a significant number of patients. We noted that the transperitoneal approach allowing wide exposure and a gamma probe with a 90-degree lateral energy window is the most important factor to enable successful laparoscopic SLND.

Aged↗

Computed tomography in early stages of testicular carcinoma. Size of normal retroperitoneal lymph nodes and lymph nodes in patients with metastases in stage II A. A SWENOTECA study: Swedish-Norwegian Testicular Cancer Project.

From the SWENOTECA Project, the CT findings in 156 patients treated by bilateral retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy were reviewed. Of these, 112 were in stage I (no metastases) and 44 in stage II A (metastases in normal-sized lymph nodes and in nodes with a maximum diameter in the transverse plane of less than or equal to 20 mm). The normal size of lymph nodes in young Scandinavian men was found to be less than 10 mm X 8 mm above the bifurcation, except in the area below the left renal vein to the left of the aortic midline where the normal size was found to be maximally 14 mm X 10 mm. The addition of a lymphangiographic contrast medium did not change the size of the lymph nodes significantly above the bifurcation, while changes of importance were noticed in the pelvic area. Normal size without contrast medium was found to be at the most 15 mm X 10 mm and after addition of contrast medium to the nodes 28 mm X 12 mm. The results of the CT findings in the stage II A group were not impressive but changed somewhat for the better using the new limits concerning size of retroperitoneal lymph nodes. The impact of using different limits is discussed and it is concluded that metastases in normal-sized or almost normal-sized lymph nodes will continue to be a diagnostic problem, at least when using CT.

Adult↗

Prospective validation of the association of local tumor stage and grade as a predictive factor for occult lymph node micrometastasis in patients with penile carcinoma and clinically negative inguinal lymph nodes.

PURPOSE: We prospectively validated the association of local tumor stage and grade as a predictive factor for occult lymph node micrometastasis in patients with penile carcinoma and clinically negative lymph nodes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a retrospective study of 66 patients we demonstrated the predictive value of the association of local tumor stage and grade for occult micrometastasis, identifying 3 risk groups. A therapy strategy was designed according to these risk groups. A total of 37 consecutive patients were included in a prospective study in which the same criteria for risk group allocation and the same therapeutic recommendations were used as in the retrospective study. RESULTS: In the prospective study we noted positive lymph nodes in 11% of stage T1, 63% of stages T2-3, 15% of grade 1, 67% of grade 2 and 75% of grade 3 cases. The incidence of positive nodes was 0% in the low, 83.3% in the high and 33.3% in the intermediate risk group. These rates were similar to those in the retrospective study with no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive value of the association of local tumor stage and grade for occult lymph node micrometastasis was validated in a prospective study. This factor allows the differentiation of 3 risk groups of patients with high reliability in the low and high risk groups. However, other prognostic factors are needed in the intermediate risk group to improve the prediction of lymph node involvement.

Adult↗

[Effect of the fever reaction on lymph cytologic composition and lymph node structure].

The authors studied the cytologic composition of afferent and efferent lymph and the morphology of the popliteal lymph node during a fever reaction of various duration. The fever reaction was attended by quantitative and qualitative in the cytologic composition of both lymph types. Reduction of the leukocyte count in the first hours of fever was replaced by its increase: the percentage of small- and moderate-size lymphocytes reduced, while that of poorly-differentiated cells--blasts and prolymphocytes--increased. The number of neutrophils and monocytes in the afferent lymph grew and its toxicity increased. Phenomena of dynamic stereotypy were noted during the development of the fever reaction: hyperplasia of the lymphatic substance with an increase of the number of lymphocytes and poorly-differentiated cells in the follicles and paracortical zone of the lymph nodes, hyperplasia of the pulpar bands, and signs of a macrophageal reaction.

Animals↗

[Sentinel lymph node negative breast cancer larger than 30 mm: is axillary lymph node dissection constantly necessary?].

Benefits provided by sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) include improvement of pathologic examination and lower rate of sequels. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of this procedure in large tumors. From march 1999 and december 2003, 663 patients were operated for a breast cancer and underwent a SLNB. All patients with tumor larger than 30 mm and/or with involved SLNB underwent a complete axillary dissection (AD). One hundred and sixteen patients (17.5%) with a tumor larger than 30 mm underwent an AD. Identification rate of SLNB was 94% (109/116). Among the 43 cases with non metastatic SLNB, the AD was negative in 39 cases (90.7%). In four cases a palpable non sentinel lymph node discovered during the SLNB procedure was found to be involved. In one case the lymphoscintigraphy found only one lymph node with a very low fixation and an AD was performed because of low efficiency of the lymphoscintigraphy procedure. SLNB false negative rate was 1.4 % (1/72) among the 72 cases with lymph node involvement. AD was performed in 66 cases (60.5%) during the same operating time than the SLNB. AD showed a lymph node involvement in 30 cases (30/72, 41.7%): in 5 cases among 24 cases with microscopic disease (20.8%) and in 25 cases among 48 cases with macroscopic disease (52%). This series results suggest than AD could be avoided for negative SLNB tumors up to 50 mm at pathologic examination in patients with clinically-measured tumor smaller than 30 mm.

Adult↗

Substance P increases lymphocyte traffic and lymph flow through peripheral lymph nodes of sheep.

Substance P, an 11 amino acid residue vasoactive neurotransmitter peptide, has been found on acute infusion (50 micrograms) into cannulated afferent lymphatics of popliteal lymph nodes of sheep to produce marked elevations in both efferent lymph flow and in the outputs of both blast and small recirculating lymphocytes into popliteal node efferent lymph (chronically cannulated). These elevations were characterized by a delay in the onset of major elevations, a marked prolongation of the elevations and a substantially greater stimulative effect on the output of blast lymphocytes. It is suggested that the number and types of substance P receptors on lymphocytes and in sheep peripheral lymph nodes may be responsible for these observations. Infusion of substance P, known for involvement in pain impulse transmission, was able to briefly overcome anaesthesia-induced depression in lymphocyte traffic. The substance P-induced alterations in lymph flow and lymphocyte traffic in vivo were demonstrated to be due to local rather than systemic effects of substance P.

Animals↗

[Study on extensive lymph node dissection: metastatic lymph nodes in papillary carcinoma of the thyroid].

Bilateral cervical lymph node dissection was performed in 71 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma, considered to be relatively early cases because of mobility, irrespective of the size of tumor or presence of node enlargement. Of these, 33 cases received additional node dissection of the anterosuperior mediastinum through longitudinal sternotomy. The number of lymph nodes examined per subject averaged 89.9, the number of metastatic nodes was 13.8, and metastasis was noted in 88.7% of all cases. Lymph node metastasis tended to be more frequent on the affected side, but was simultaneously scattered over the whole cervical area. As to sites, metastasis of paratracheal nodes on the affected side occurred at a frequency of 66.2%, inferior and superior jugular nodes at 62.0% and 59.0% respectively, pretracheal nodes at 50.7%, and tracheoesophageal nodes at 47.9%. The high incidence of para- and pretracheal nodes suggests that the lymph flow in this direction is of great importance in metastasis. In fact, lymph nodes in the mediastinum, which were directly continuous with these nodes, showed as high as 39.4% metastasis in cases of anterosuperior mediastinal extirpation. This extensive node dissection is considered to be very preferable as at least the agony of survival with carcinoma can be lessened.

Adult↗

The appearance of fluorescein-labelled lymphocytes in lymph following in vitro or in vivo labelling: the route of lymphocyte recirculation through mesenteric lymph nodes.

Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) has been used to study lymphocyte migration in sheep. After being labelled in vitro with FITC, lymphocytes migrated from blood into lymph at the same rate and with the same recovery as lymphocytes labelled with with the radioisotope 51chromium. The in vivo labelling of mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) with FITC resulted in high numbers of labelled lymphocytes appearing in prescapular lymph. However, the appearance of the FITC-labelled lymphocytes in the prescapular lymph could be prevented by cannulating the main intestinal lymph duct prior to the in vivo labelling procedure. It was concluded that lymphocytes labelled in vivo within the MLN required an intact lymphatic system to reach the blood circulation and did not enter the venous circulation directly from the MLN.

Animals↗

Lymphocyte recognition of lymph node high endothelium. III. Enhancement by a component of thoracic duct lymph.

The first step in the entry of blood lymphocytes into lymph node is the binding of these cells to venules lined by high endothelium (HEV). This recognition event has been studied using a model system in which rat thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL) adhere selectively to HEV when overlaid onto lymph node sections. We now report that this binding is increased by a lymph fraction designated adherence enhancing factor (AEF). Lymph depleted of cells and chylomicra was fractionated with (NH4)2SO4. Material that precipitated between 60 and 80% saturation was dissolved in buffer and extracted with chloroform/methanol; the aqueous phase was used as the source of AEF. The factor was nondialyzable, trypsin sensitive, and heat stable (70 degrees C, 30 min). Lymph node sections pretreated with AEF showed a 2- to 3-fold increase in the number of TDL bound to HEV and a 5 to 10-fold increase in the number of HEV with more than 5 adherent lymphocytes. The effect of AEF was specific: 1) No increase in lymphocyte binding to non-HEV areas of the tissue section occurred. 2) The binding of both TDL and spleen lymphoid cells to HEV was enhanced, but thymocyte attachment was not promoted. We conclude that AEF has biologic properties that might enable it to play a physiologic role in lymphocyte recirculation.

Animals↗

Presence of a complete endothelial barrier between lymph and lymphoid tissue in the lumbar lymph nodes of the duck (Anas platyrhynchos).

The ultrastructure of the lumbar lymph nodes of the domestic duck is described and compared with published accounts of mammalian lymph nodes. The barrier to cell migration between lymphoid tissue and lymph is more formidable in the duck than in the mammal. In the duck the lymphatic endothelium lining the lymph spaces is continuous and bonded with desmosomes whereas in the mammal it is unbonded and fenestrated. In both types of node there are filtering zones and areas of dense lymphatic tissue but their topographical organisation differs. There is no cortex or medulla in the duck lymph node and filtration occurs in extensive lymphatic spaces traversed by numerous trabeculae to which are attached rounded phagocytic macrophages. Dense lymphoid tissue is scattered throughout the node, suspended by trabeculae or attached to the capsule and there are blood vessels analogous to the post capillary venules of mammalian nodes where lymphocytes migrate between blood and lymphoid tissue.

Animals↗