-Case Reports-

Identification of 6 Sentinel Lymph Nodes in a Case of Malignant Melanoma on the Ungual Region of the Finger

Takashi Ueno, Tsuyoshi Mitsuishi, Yayoi Niimi and Seiji Kawana

Department of Cutaneous and Mucosal Pathophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School

We describe a case of malignant melanoma on the ungual region of the index finger with which 6 sentinel lymph nodes were detected in the axillary basin. Of these nodes, 1 of 3 brachial nodes and 2 of 3 central axillary nodes showed micrometastasis. Additional lymph nodes obtained at the subsequent complete axillary lymph node dissection showed no metastasis. Identification of as many as 6 sentinel lymph nodes was ascribed to a single lymph trunk that would branch off to afferent lymphatics draining to each nodal group; however, a gamma probe may have detected radioactive tracer passing to the sequential nodes as well as that remaining in true sentinel nodes.

J Nippon Med Sch 2009; 76: 23-26

Keywords
sentinel lymph node, malignant melanoma, multiple, technetium phytate, identification

Correspondence to
Takashi Ueno, MD, PhD, Department of Dermatology, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan
takashi-ueno@nms.ac.jp

Received, August 13, 2008
Accepted, October 17, 2008