Lymphadenography of the dorsal lymphatics of the penis.Technique and results

Abstract

This paper describes the technique of lymphadenography of the dorsal lymphatics of the penis undertaken in the search for evidence of metastasis to lymph nodes in cancer of the penis and to obtain accurate location of the tributary lymphatics as a guide to complete dissection of lymph nodes. Fourteen subjects were investigated: eight normal, with no pathology of the penis; four patients with carcinoma of the penis, three of whom had injection through the stump remaining after partial amputation and unilateral dissection of lymph nodes and one given an injection into the dorsum of the penis on one side and into the dorsum of the foot on the opposite side; one patient with syphilitic chancre and one with condyloma acuminatum. This is a valuable procedure for locating and mapping distribution of lymph nodes but the interpretation of neoplastic invasion of the lymph nodes is uncertain.