Correlation of Pelvic Sentinel Lymph Node with Superficial Vein

Overview

Pelvic Sentinel Lymph Node (SLN) biopsy is an important integral part of endometrial surgery. Although SLN is usually found on internal iliac artery, location is variable. Lymphatic pathways in pelvis determines the location (Obturator, internal iliac or external iliac vessel locations). Since it is accepted that the lymphatic channel formation during embryologic life follows venous system formation investigators hypothesized that the presence or absence of superior or deep uterine vein may determine the location of sentinel lymph node

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer. Treatment and prognosis depends on the surgical staging of the apparently early stage disease including the evaluation of lymphatic status of the disease. Detection of positive lymph node upstages the apparently early stage endometrial cancer. However, systematic lymphadenectomy carries immediate and long term risks for patients including bleeding, massive transfusions, prolongation of operation time, serious major vessel and major abdominal organ injury and death. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) procedure is the biopsy of one or two lymph node(s) which represents the lymph node basin draining the area of malignancy. This biopsy may potentially eliminate the need systemic pelvic / para-aortic lymphadenectomy which harbours potential complications. Although SLNB became an standard procedure in endometrial cancer, available data on the SLNB in endometrial cancer is variable. The relevant literature suggests that the detection rate of sentinel lymph node using various tracer agents are between %70-98, even with lower for bilateral pelvic detection and para-aortic sentinel lymph node(s). The most commonly used tracer agent is fluorescent indocyanine green (ICG). Although SLN is usually found on internal iliac artery during surgery, location is variable. Lymphatic pathways in pelvis determines the location (Obturator, internal iliac or external iliac locations). Since it is accepted that the lymphatic channel formation during embryologic life follows venous system formation investigators hypothesized that the presence or absence of right or left superior (SUV) or deep uterine vein (DUV), which actually are highly variable, may determine the location of sentinel lymph node. So investigators aims to find any correlation between the location of SLN (obturator, external iliac and internal iliac) and the presence of SUV or DUV unilaterally or bilaterally.