Abstrakt

The management of contralateral axillary sentinel lymph nodes detected by lymphoscintigraphy in a patient of breast cancer that had never undergone breast related medical treatment

Hisako Ono, Masahiko Tanabe, Kiyomi Kimura, Yumi Miyagi, Rie Horii, Futoshi Akiyama, Takuji Iwase, Shinji Ohno

In breast cancer, lymphoscintigraphy-based sentinel lymph node biopsy examinations usually show lymphatic drainage to the ipsilateral axilla, and sometimes to the extra-axillary regions. Drainage to the contralateral axilla is rarely observed in patients that have never undergone any medical treatment involving their breasts. We experienced a case of breast cancer in which bilateral sentinel lymph nodes were detected by lymphoscintigraphy in a patient that had never undergone any medical treatment involving her breasts. Here, we report a rare case and review the clinical and pathological features of several reported cases. In addition, we discuss the necessity of subjecting contralateral sentinel lymph nodes to a biopsy examination.