Ji-Hyeon Park1, Felix Berlth2, Chaojie Wang1, Sen Wang1, Jong-Ho Choi1, Shin-Hoo Park1, Yun-Suhk Suh1, Seong-Ho Kong3, Do Joong Park4, Hyuk-Joon Lee4, Yoonjin Kwak5, Woo Ho Kim5, Han-Kwang Yang6. 1. Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. 2. Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. 3. Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. 4. Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea. 5. Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. 6. Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: hkyang@snu.ac.kr.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging and tissue marking dyes (TMDs), perigastric lymphatic mapping and their pathological correlation were examined to see whether ICG staining covers all metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) in advanced gastric cancer (AGC). METHODS: Patients with AGC who underwent open distal or total gastrectomy were enrolled. ICG was serially injected intraoperatively into the subserosa along the greater and lesser curvatures. Stomach specimens were examined under a near-infrared camera. ICG-stained LNs were named, excised, and tattooed with different colored TMDs to retrace the exact location after pathological examinations. RESULTS: A total of 687 LNs and 69 LN stations were examined from 11 patients. The map of the perigastric lymphatic network showing the topography of ICG-stained and ICG-unstained LNs, including metastatic information, was successfully reconstructed. The average number of ICG-stained and ICG-unstained LNs were 23.6 ± 12.3 (37.8%) and 38.8 ± 17.1 (62.2%), respectively. LN metastases were present in 28 LN stations of 8 patients. Of 8 cases with LN metastases, 40% (11.1-75% per case) of metastatic LNs were stained by ICG. Of 28 metastatic LN stations, 21 (75.0%) were covered by ICG, and actual metastatic LNs were stained in 16 LN stations (57.1%). In 4/8 cases (50%), all metastatic LN stations showed ICG signals. CONCLUSIONS: ICG fluorescence imaging and TMD are useful tools for visualizing the perigastric lymphatic network and retracing the exact location of ICG-stained LNs in AGC. However, ICG imaging is still not recommended for selective LN dissection in AGC because of the limited staining of perigastric LNs.
BACKGROUND: Using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging and tissue marking dyes (TMDs), perigastric lymphatic mapping and their pathological correlation were examined to see whether ICG staining covers all metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) in advanced gastric cancer (AGC). METHODS: Patients with AGC who underwent open distal or total gastrectomy were enrolled. ICG was serially injected intraoperatively into the subserosa along the greater and lesser curvatures. Stomach specimens were examined under a near-infrared camera. ICG-stained LNs were named, excised, and tattooed with different colored TMDs to retrace the exact location after pathological examinations. RESULTS: A total of 687 LNs and 69 LN stations were examined from 11 patients. The map of the perigastric lymphatic network showing the topography of ICG-stained and ICG-unstained LNs, including metastatic information, was successfully reconstructed. The average number of ICG-stained and ICG-unstained LNs were 23.6 ± 12.3 (37.8%) and 38.8 ± 17.1 (62.2%), respectively. LN metastases were present in 28 LN stations of 8 patients. Of 8 cases with LN metastases, 40% (11.1-75% per case) of metastatic LNs were stained by ICG. Of 28 metastatic LN stations, 21 (75.0%) were covered by ICG, and actual metastatic LNs were stained in 16 LN stations (57.1%). In 4/8 cases (50%), all metastatic LN stations showed ICG signals. CONCLUSIONS: ICG fluorescence imaging and TMD are useful tools for visualizing the perigastric lymphatic network and retracing the exact location of ICG-stained LNs in AGC. However, ICG imaging is still not recommended for selective LN dissection in AGC because of the limited staining of perigastric LNs.
Authors: Francesco Belia; Alberto Biondi; Annamaria Agnes; Pietro Santocchi; Antonio Laurino; Laura Lorenzon; Roberto Pezzuto; Flavio Tirelli; Lorenzo Ferri; Domenico D'Ugo; Roberto Persiani Journal: Front Surg Date: 2022-06-28