sentinel lymph node; detection, biopsy; malignant melanoma

The sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy revolutionized the surgical management of primary malignant melanoma. The authors conducted a retrospective review of 374 patients treated for malignant melanomas with dynamic and static lymphoscintigraphy, patent blue dye and gamma probe guided SLN biopsy since 2000. Sentinel lymph nodes biopsy is highly reliable in experienced hands. This study shows the importance of the gamma probe and patent blue dye in all lymph node basins but mainly in the axilla and unusual basins. Completion therapeutic lymphadenectomy is recommended after positive biopsy because it is difficult to predict the presence of positive nonsentinel nodes. The method reduced distinctively a number of elective lymphadenectomies much-favoured before 2000.