Reoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy for ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence after previous axillary lymph node dissection: report of a case.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy has become a standard component of the evaluation of early-stage breast cancer, with a gradually increasing number of indications in this patient population. This report presents the case of a patient who underwent reoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy as part of an evaluation of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence; she had previously undergone axillary lymph node dissection. Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy showed aberrant lymphatic drainage, and all three sentinel lymph nodes were positive for cancer. Although the optimal management of regional lymph nodes in patients with ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence who have already undergone axillary lymph node dissection has not been established, reoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy in this setting may therefore potentially enable the identification of subclinical, aberrantly located nodal metastasis.