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ASSESSMENT OF SENTINEL LYMPH NODE METASTASIS IN CANINE MAMMARY GLAND TUMORS USING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC INDIRECT LYMPHOGRAPHY
Author(s) -
Soultani Christina,
Patsikas Michail N.,
Karayannopoulou Maria,
Jakovljevic Samuel,
Chryssogonidis Ioannis,
Papazoglou Lysimachos,
Papaioannou Nikolaos,
Papadopoulou Paraskevi,
Pavlidou Kyriaki,
Ilia Georgia M.,
Kaitzis Dimitrios G.,
Ilia Tatiana M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
veterinary radiology and ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.541
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1740-8261
pISSN - 1058-8183
DOI - 10.1111/vru.12460
Subject(s) - medicine , hounsfield scale , metastasis , mammary gland , computed tomographic , radiology , nuclear medicine , prospective cohort study , lymph , pathology , breast cancer , cancer , computed tomography
In the staging process of the breast cancer, demonstrating metastasis of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) has an important prognostic value, in both humans and animals. The aim of this prospective case‐control study was to determine the diagnostic value of computed tomographic indirect lymphography (CT‐LG) for detecting SLN metastasis in dogs with mammary cancer. Thirty‐three female dogs with tumors in the abdominal and inguinal mammary glands were prospectively selected and subjected to CT‐LG, 1 and 5 min after injection of 1 ml of contrast agent (iopamidol) in the subareolar tissue of the neoplastic and the contralateral normal mammary glands. The pattern of postcontrast opacification, degree of postcontrast enhancement, and size and shape were assessed in 65 SLNs in total and were correlated with histopathological findings. The absence of opacification or heterogeneous opacification 1 min after contrast medium injection showed the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (93%, 100%, and 98.4%, respectively). In images taken 1 min after injection, an absolute density value lower than 444 Hounsfield units (HU) in the center of the SLN also provided significant sensitivity and specificity (93.8% and 75%, respectively). The size and shape of the SLN (maximum and minimum diameter, maximum/minimum diameter ratio, maximum diameter/height of fifth thoracic vertebral body ratio) showed the lowest sensitivity and specificity. Results of this study support the hypothesis that CT‐LG could help in the assessment of SLN metastasis in cases of mammary gland tumors in dogs.