Differential Diagnosis of Axillary Inflammatory and Metastatic Lymph Nodes in Rabbit Models by Using Diffusion-Weighted Imaging: Compared with Conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Junping Wang,Qian Liao,Yunting Zhang,Chunshui Yu,Renju Bai,Haoran Sun 대한영상의학회 2012 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.13 No.4

Objective: This experiment aims to determine the diagnostic value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the differentiation of axillary inflammatory lymph nodes from metastatic lymph nodes in rabbit models in comparison with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: Conventional MRI and DWI were performed at 4 weeks after successful inoculation into the forty female New Zealand white rabbits’ mammary glands. The size-based and signal-intensity-based criteria and the relative apparent diffusion coefficient (rADC) value were compared between the axillary inflammatory lymph nodes and metastatic lymph nodes, with histopathological findings as the reference standard. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the aforementioned criteria and rADC value in differentiating the axillary inflammatory lymph nodes from metastatic lymph nodes. Results: Thirty-two axillary inflammatory lymph nodes and 46 metastatic ones were successfully isolated and taken into pathological analysis. The differences of the aforementioned criteria between the two groups were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). However, the rADC value of the inflammatory lymph nodes (0.9 ± 0.14) was higher than that of metastatic ones (0.7 ± 0.18), with significant difference (p = 0.016). When the rADC value was chosen as 0.80, the area under the ROC curve is greater than all other criteria, and the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for differentiating two groups were 86.2%, 79.3%, 81.2%, 84.2%, and 85.6%, respectively. Conclusion: Diffusion-weighted imaging is a promising new technique for differentiating axillary inflammatory lymph nodes from metastatic lymph nodes. Compared with routine magnetic resonance sequences, DWI could provide more useful physiological and functional information for diagnosis. Objective: This experiment aims to determine the diagnostic value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the differentiation of axillary inflammatory lymph nodes from metastatic lymph nodes in rabbit models in comparison with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: Conventional MRI and DWI were performed at 4 weeks after successful inoculation into the forty female New Zealand white rabbits’ mammary glands. The size-based and signal-intensity-based criteria and the relative apparent diffusion coefficient (rADC) value were compared between the axillary inflammatory lymph nodes and metastatic lymph nodes, with histopathological findings as the reference standard. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the aforementioned criteria and rADC value in differentiating the axillary inflammatory lymph nodes from metastatic lymph nodes. Results: Thirty-two axillary inflammatory lymph nodes and 46 metastatic ones were successfully isolated and taken into pathological analysis. The differences of the aforementioned criteria between the two groups were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). However, the rADC value of the inflammatory lymph nodes (0.9 ± 0.14) was higher than that of metastatic ones (0.7 ± 0.18), with significant difference (p = 0.016). When the rADC value was chosen as 0.80, the area under the ROC curve is greater than all other criteria, and the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for differentiating two groups were 86.2%, 79.3%, 81.2%, 84.2%, and 85.6%, respectively. Conclusion: Diffusion-weighted imaging is a promising new technique for differentiating axillary inflammatory lymph nodes from metastatic lymph nodes. Compared with routine magnetic resonance sequences, DWI could provide more useful physiological and functional information for diagnosis.

Effect of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Axillary Lymph Node Positivity and Numbers in Breast Cancer Cases

Uyan, Mikail,Koca, Bulent,Yuruker, Savas,Ozen, Necati Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.3

Background: The aim of this study is to compare the numbers of axillary lymph nodes (ALN) taken out by dissection between patients with breast cancer operated on after having neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) treatment and otherswithout having neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and to investigate factors affecting lymph node positivity. Materials and Methods: A total of 49 patients operated due to advanced breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 144 patients with a similar stage of the cancer having primary surgical treatment without chemotherapy at the general surgery clinic of Ondokuz Mayis University Medicine Faculty between the dates 01.01.2006 and 31.10.2012 were included in the study. The total number of lymph nodes taken out by axillary dissection (ALND) was categorized as the number of positive lymph nodes and divided into <10 and ${\geq}10$. The variables to be compared were analysed using the program SPSS 15.0 with P<0.05 accepted as significant. Results: Median number of dissected lymph nodes from the patient group having neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 16 (16-33) while it was 20 (5-55) without chemotherapy. The respective median numbers of positive lymph nodes were 5 (0-19) and 10 (0-51). In 8 out of 49 neoadjuvant chemotherapy patients (16.3%), the number of dissected lymph nodes was below 10, and it was below 10 in 17 out of 144 primary surgery patients. Differences in numbers of dissected total and positive lymph nodes between two groups were significant, but this was not the case for numbers of <10 lymph nodes. Conclusions: The number of dissected lymph nodes from the patients with breast cancer having neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be less than without chemotherapy. This may not always be attributed to an inadequate axillary dissection. More research to evaluate the numbers of positive lymph nodes are required in order to increase the reliability of staging in the patients with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

유방암 환자에서 감시림프절 전이 양성 때 비감시림프절 전이 예측인자

배정원 한국유방암학회 2006 Journal of breast cancer Vol.9 No.4

Purpose: Axillary lymph node dissection in breast cancer patients with positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) is accepted as a routine procedure. In a significant proportion of women with breast cancer, the SLN is the sole site of regional metastasis. These patients would not be expected to benefit from complete lymph node dissection. The purpose of this study is to determine which factors are associated with additional positive lymph nodes in the axilla of patients who have positive sentinel lymph nodes. Methods: Between September 2001 and May 2005, we examined 135 cases where the patients underwent a breast conserving operation and a SLN biopsy. There were 34 patients with positive SLN. Univariate analysis was used to identify the clinicopathologic features in the SLN positive patients that can predict metastasis in the nonsentinel lymph nodes (NSLNs). Results: Fifteen patients (44.1%) had metastasis in the NSLNs. There were significant differences in the location of tumors (p=0.018), the nodal status of each patient (p=0.001) and c-erbB2 protein expression (p=0.017) in NSLN metastasis as determined by univariate analysis. Conclusion: The location of the breast cancer, nodal status and c-erbB2 expression are of predictive value for NSLN involvement. We suggest that a full axillary lymph node dissection may be considered as a sparing treatment in these situations.

Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Core Needle Biopsy in Detecting Metastatic Axillary Lymph Nodes in Breast Cancer

Lee Jeeyeon,Park Ho Yong,Kim Wan Wook,Park Chan Sub,Jeong Minhye,Jung Jin Hyang 대한외과초음파학회 2020 대한외과초음파학회지 Vol.7 No.2

Purpose: Axillary lymph node status is an important prognostic factor in breast cancer. Axillary lymph nodes can be evaluated using fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) or core needle biopsy (CNB) before surgery. This study compared the accuracy and false-negative rates between FNAC and CNB in patients with breast cancer who either did or did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Methods: The clinicopathological factors of the patients were analyzed retrospectively, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, false-positive and false-negative rates, and accuracy of FNAC (n = 27) and CNB (n = 23) were compared. Results: Regardless of whether or not NAC was performed, the CNB evaluation of the metastatic axillary lymph nodes had a 100.0% sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and accuracy, except for one case with an inadequate sample. In the FNAC group, the false-negative rate was higher in patients with breast cancer who received NAC before evaluating the lymph nodes (9.1% vs. 7.7%). Moreover, ultrasound imaging was the most sensitive imaging modality that can detect the suspicious axillary lymph node. Conclusion: CNB was more effective in evaluating the axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer than FNAC and was performed without major complications.

Ectopic Schistosomiasis Involving Axillary Lymph Nodes

Xia Chen,Nian’an He 대한기생충학ㆍ열대의학회 2022 The Korean Journal of Parasitology Vol.60 No.6

Axillary lymph node schistosomiasis is a form of ectopic schistosomiasis, in which the Schistosoma adult worms or eggs are infected in the axillary lymph nodes. A 53-year-old woman visited our hospital with a small mass in the right armpit, which had been present for over 1 month. Histological examination of biopsy samples from the right axillary lymph nodes revealed granulomas containing calcified Schistosoma eggs. This is the first authentic case of ectopic schistosomiasis identified in the axillary lymph nodes.

¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT에서 코로나 백신접종과 액와 림프절 섭취에 대한 고찰

김민찬,최용훈,임한상,김재삼,Min-Chan, Kim,Yong-Hoon, Choi,Han-Sang, Lim,Jae-Sam, Kim 대한핵의학기술학회 2022 핵의학 기술 Vol.26 No.2

Purpose There are reports that the COVID-19 vaccine causes false positive uptake of axillary lymph nodes. Therefore, this paper intends to evaluate the change in SUVmax of axillary lymph nodes with the period after the COVID-19 vaccination. Materials and Methods In 134 breast cancer patients who were tested for ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT at Severance hospital, 3.7 MBq/kg of ¹⁸F-FDG was intravenously injected and scanned for 2 minutes per bed after 60 minutes. The equipment was Discovery 600 (GE Healthcare, MI, USA). The period was divided into four groups, 0 to 2 weeks, 3 to 6 weeks, 7 to 10 weeks, and 11 weeks or more. SUVmax was measured after checking the uptake of axillary lymph nodes on the ipsilateral side of vaccination and the Kruskal-Wallis test was performed using SPSS Statistics 28 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results From 0 to 2 weeks groups to 11 weeks or more group, the average of SUVmax was measured in the order of 5.52, 2.85, 1.82, and 1.7. As a result of the Kruskal-Wallis test, there was a significant difference between 0 to 2 weeks group from all other groups (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the remaining three groups. Conclusion The SUVmax of axillary lymph nodes decreased over the period after the COVID-19 vaccination and no significant difference was found after 3 weeks of vaccination. Therefore, it is recommended to record COVID-19 vaccination information before examination.

Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case Report

구은정,이미리 대한갑상선학회 2014 International Journal of Thyroidology Vol.7 No.2

We report a case of axillary lymph node metastasis (LNM) as a recurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in a 68-year-old male. The patient initially presented in 2009 with a 3.4×5.4 cm sized neck swelling and left cervical lymphadenopathy. He underwent total thyroidectomy and central compartment neck dissection (CCND) with left modified radical neck dissection (MRND). The pathological report confirmed PTC with metastasis of neck lymph node. On a regular follow up of positron emission tomography (PET), LNM was found on the right supraclavicular area and on the left axillary area. It was 17 months after the initial thyroid cancer had been diagnosed. The right MRND and left axillary lymph node dissections were performed in April of 2012. Pathological result confirmed metastatic PTC of left axillary lymph nodes. After recovery from the surgery, the patient got radioactive iodine therapy with I-131 180 mCi.

A Comparison of Outcomes for the Patients with Pathologically Node-negative Breast Cancer and Who Were Treated Either with Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Only or with Conventional Axillary Lymph Node Dissection

Hyun-Ah Kim,Eun-Jeong Jo,Min-Suk Kim,김양희,백남선,Nan-Mo Moon,이종인,양광모,노우철 한국유방암학회 2009 Journal of breast cancer Vol.12 No.4

Purpose: False negative results obtained with the use of a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) can result in down staging of tumors, whereas the use of a more elaborated pathological examination of sentinel lymph nodes might lead to upstaging of tumors. The purpose of this study was to compare results after performing only an SLNB as compared with performing conventional axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) without an SLNB in pathologically node negative (pN0) breast cancer patients. Methods: From April 2004 to June 2007, SLNBs were performed for patients with primary breast cancer who had no clinical evidence of a lymph node metastasis. A total of 272 patients were treated with only an SLNB. During the same period, 278 patients were confirmed as pN0 after conventional ALND without an SLNB. A prospectively collected database and medical records of these patients were reviewed. Results: For patients that had undergone only an SLNB, there was no local or regional recurrence. A distant metastasis developed in four patients (1.5%). In patients that had undergone ALND without an SLNB, a recurrence was found in 13 patients (4.7%). Patients that had undergone only an SLNB showed significantly better diseasefree survival as compared to patients that had undergone ALND without an SLNB (p=0.032). Conclusion: pN0 patients treated with only an SLNB showed a significantly better outcome as compared to patients treated with conventional ALND without an SLNB. These results suggest that performing an SLNB might result in the upstaging of a subset of patients who would have been understaged by the use of conventional ALND.

Predictors of 4 or More Positive Axillary Nodes in Patients with Nodepositive T1-2 Breast Carcinoma: The Indications for Adjuvant Irradiation of the Level III Axilla and Supraclavicular Fossa

김성환,이종훈,서영진,심병용 한국유방암학회 2010 Journal of breast cancer Vol.13 No.2

Purpose: We evaluate the predictors of 4 or more involved axillary nodes in patients with node-positive T1-2 breast carcinoma to select a group of patients who are indicated for adjuvant irradiation of the level III axilla and supraclavicular fossa (SCF). Methods: We analyzed 286 patients with positive axillary nodes and who were without distant metastases and who underwent breast conserving surgery and axillary lymph node dissection or modified radical mastectomy. We investigated the relationship between the patients and the tumor factors and 4 or more positive axillary nodes. Results: On the multivariate logistic-regression analysis, an increased tumor size (p=0.002), the presence of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) (p<0.001) and a palpable mass p<0.001) were positively associated with involvement of 4 or more axillary lymph nodes. In our study, 86.1% of the patients with all the unfavorable factors had involvement of 4 or more nodal metastases. Conclusion: Our data suggest that for patients with node-positive T1-2 breast cancer, the presence of 4 or more involved nodes is frequently observed for the patients with an increased tumor size, the presence of LVSI and a palpable mass at the time of diagnosis, and we recommend that they undergo irradiation of the high axilla and SCF for adjuvant care, if they do not undergo complete axillary dissection.

Clinical outcomes after sentinel lymph node biopsy in clinically node-negative breast cancer patients

한희지,김주리,남희림,금기창,서창옥,김용배 대한방사선종양학회 2014 Radiation Oncology Journal Vol.32 No.3

To evaluate non-sentinel lymph node (LN) status after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) in patients with breast cancer and to identify the predictive factors for disease failure. Materials and Methods: From January 2006 to December 2007, axillary lymph node (ALN) dissection after SNB was performed for patients with primary invasive breast cancer who had no clinical evidence of LN metastasis. A total of 320 patients were treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy. Results: The median age of patients was 48 years, and the median follow-up time was 72.8 months. Close resection margin (RM) was observed in 13 patients. The median number of dissected SNB was two, and that of total retrieved ALNs was 11. Sentinel node accuracy was 94.7%, and the overall false negative rate (FNR) was 5.3%. Eleven patients experienced treatment failure. Local recurrence, regional LN recurrence, and distant metastasis were identified in 0.9%, 1.9%, and 2.8% of these patients, respectively. Sentinel LN status were not associated with locoregional recurrence (p > 0.05). Close RM was the only significant factor for disease-free survival (DFS) in univariate and multivariate analysis. The 5-year overall survival, DFS, and locoregional DFS were 100%, 96.8%, and 98.1%, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, SNB was performed with high accuracy and low FNR and high locoregional control was achieved.