The clinical value of hybrid sentinel lymphoscintigraphy to predict metastatic sentinel lymph nodes in XXXX .

@entity1 @entity5 @entity0 @entity4298
PURPOSE: Hybrid imaging techniques can provide functional and anatomical information about sentinel lymph nodes in @entity0 . Our aim in this study was to evaluate which imaging parameters on hybrid sentinel lymphoscintigraphy predicted metastatic involvement of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in @entity1 with @entity0 . METHODS: Among 56 @entity1 who underwent conventional sentinel lymphoscintigraphy, 45 @entity1 (age, 53.1        9.5  years) underwent hybrid sentinel lymphoscintigraphy using a single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) gamma camera. On hybrid SPECT/CT images, we compared the shape and size (long-to-short axis [L/S] ratio) of the @entity4298 , and @entity4298 /periareolar injection site (S/P) count ratio between metastatic and non-metastatic SLNs. Metastatic involvement of sentinel lymph nodes was confirmed by pathological biopsy. RESULTS: Pathological biopsy revealed that 21 @entity1 (46.7  %) had metastatic SLNs, while 24 (53.3  %) had non-metastatic SLNs. In the 21 @entity1 with metastatic SLNs, the @entity4298 was mostly round (57.1  %) or had an eccentric cortical rim (38.1  %). Of 24 @entity1 with non-metastatic SLNs, 13 @entity1 (54.1  %) had an @entity4298 with a C-shape rim or eccentric cortex. L/S ratio was 2.04 for metastatic SLNs and 2.38 for non-metastatic SLNs. Seven (33  %) @entity1 had T1 @entity5 and 14 (66  %) had T2 @entity5 in the metastatic @entity4298 group. In contrast, 18 (75  %) @entity1 had T1 @entity5 and six (25  %) had T2 @entity5 in the non-metastatic @entity4298 group. S/P count ratio was significantly lower in the metastatic @entity4298 group than the non-metastatic @entity4298 group for those @entity1 with a T1 @entity5 (p   =   0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid SPECT/CT offers the physiologic data of SPECT together with the anatomic data of CT in a single image. This hybrid imaging improved the anatomic localization of SLNs in @entity0 @entity1 and predicted the metastatic involvement of SLNs in the subgroup of @entity0 @entity1 with T1 @entity5 .
