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. 2008 Aug;196(2):228-33.
doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2007.08.060.

Safety and technical success of methylene blue dye for lymphatic mapping in breast cancer

Shaheen Zakaria  1 , Tanya L Hoskin, Amy C Degnim
Affiliations

Safety and technical success of methylene blue dye for lymphatic mapping in breast cancer

Shaheen Zakaria et al. Am J Surg. 2008 Aug.

Abstract

Background: We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of methylene blue dye (MBD) for sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping in breast cancer.

Methods: A total of 398 patients undergoing 401 SLN biopsy procedures with MBD were retrospectively reviewed and divided into 3 groups based on dye concentration and location of dye injection. Technical success and complication rates were compared.

Results: Overall technical success of SLN biopsy was 99.7%. Technical success of SLN mapping with MBD was lowest in the group receiving full strength dye in a peritumoral location (74%) and highest in the group that received very dilute MBD (1.25 mg/mL) in the subareolar location (92%, P = .004). The complication rate was highest in the first group (21%) and lowest in the latter (2%, P = .0003).

Conclusions: Dilute MBD (1.25 mg/mL) successfully maps SLNs with very few complications.

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