Indocyanine green fluorescence mapping of sentinel lymph node in patients with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma after previous radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to present the feasibility of indocyanine green (ICG) mapping of sentinel lymph node in recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). M1ETHODS: Peritumoral injection of 5-mg ICG solution and real-time mapping of the sentinel lymph nodes in the neck was performed during surgery. The sentinel lymph node identified was excised and sent separately for laboratory analysis. Selective neck dissection was then performed. The number and level of the sentinel lymph nodes, their signal-to-background ratio, and the histopathology of the sentinel lymph nodes and the neck dissection specimens were studied. RESULTS A total of 5 patients were recruited into this study, of which 9 sentinel lymph nodes were identified. The majority of them were located in level II. The mean detection time after ICG injection was 288 seconds. The sentinel lymph nodes in 3 patients tested positive for malignancy. None of the selective neck dissection specimens harbored microscopic tumor deposits. CONCLUSION ICG mapping of sentinel lymph nodes in locally recurrent NPC is potentially feasible. It offers a better nodal staging in patients with clinically N0 disease status.