Radionuclide lymphoscintigraphy performed on the mastectomized chest wall

Abstract

Lymphatic flow in the anterior chest wall of 64 patients who underwent surgery for breast carcinoma was studies on images of lymphoscintigraphy using 99mTc-rhenium colloid. Scintigraphic images taken 4 hours after the intradermal injection of radionuclides along both sides of the surgical wound frequently made it possible to visualize the contralateral axillary lymph nodes. In particular, among 20 patients with local chest wall recurrence after the mastectomy, the contralateral axillary nodes were demonstrated in 13. Stimulated lymphatic flow seems to be manifested around the site of local recurrence over the chest wall. On the precise analysis of lymphographic images, faint lymphatic drainages were occasionally identified up to the contralateral axillary lymph nodes at various levels of the anterior chest wall. It is essential that the radiation field be made large towards the area including the downstream of the lymphatic flow. Additionally, accumulation of radionuclides in the lymph nodes appeared to be slowly impaired by the postoperative irradiation after the completion of radiotherapy.