Table 1.
Reported diagnostic accuracy and detection rate of sentinel lymph nodes per technique.
| Technique | Source | Tracer | Number of Studies | Sensitivity | NPV | SLN identification in (%) of Patients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional lymphoscintigraphy & SPECT-CT | γ-ray | γ-emitting [99mTc]-labelled radiotracer (e.g., [99mTc]-nanocolloid) |
n = 66 | 87% [16] | 94% [16] | − |
| MR Lymphography (Gd3+) |
Radio-wave | Paramagnetic (Gd3+) contrast agent (e.g., gadobutrol) |
n = 1 | 91% [22] | 93% [22] | 100% [22] |
| MR Lymphography (SPIO) | Radio-wave | Superparamagnetic (iron oxide) contrast agent (e.g., Resovist, Magtrace) |
n = 2 | NR | NR | 100% [23,24,25] |
| CT Lymphography | X-ray | Iodine contrast agent (e.g., iopamidol, lipiodol) |
n = 6 | 56–80% [26,27,28,29] | 82–96% [26,27,28,29] | 89–96% [26,27,28,29,30,31] |
| PET lymphoscintigraphy | β+-decay (γ-rays) |
Positron emitting isotope [89Zr, 68Ga, 18F]-labelled radiotracer (e.g., [68Ga]-tilmanocept) |
n = 2 | 67% [32] | 67% [32] | 100% [32,33] |
| Contrast-enhanced lymphosonography | US-wave | Microbubbles (e.g., SonoVue, Sonazoid) |
n = 2 | NR | NR | 80–92% [34,35] |
NPV; negative predictive value, SLN; sentinel lymph node, SPECT-CT; single photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography, 99mTc; technetium-99m, MR; magnetic resonance, Gd3+; gadolinium, NR; not reported, CT; computed tomography, PET; positron emission tomography, 89Zr; zirconium-89, 68Ga; gallium-68, 18F; fluorine-18, US; ultrasound.