Drainage across midline to sentinel nodes in the contralateral axilla in breast cancer.

The authors report a case of recurrent breast carcinoma in the right chest in a patient who earlier had a right breast mastectomy. Injection of Tc-99m sulfur colloid into the lesion site in the right midchest revealed drainage to a very faint node in the contralateral axilla on the left, an unexpected site, and none to the ipsilateral axilla, the expected site. Disease was found in the left axilla in the sentinel nodes. Lymphoscintigraphy added valuable information in the management of this patient.