SPIO-enhanced MRI for sentinel lymph node mapping in oral cancer: a prospective feasibility study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Patients with early-stage node-negative oral cancer undergo a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or elective neck dissection under general anesthesia. A noninvasive imaging alternative would be of great interest. Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can visualize draining lymph nodes and potentially metastases. We investigated the optimal combination of SPIO injection and T2*-weighted MRI settings to identify the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), the lymphatic drainage pattern, and possibly to detect metastatic SLNs.

Materials and methods

SPIO nanoparticles were injected submucosally around the primary tongue tumor in ten patients after routine SLNB imaging with indocyanine green-[^99mTc]Tc-nanocolloid, and MRI was perf

SUBMITTER: Heldens GTN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12619859 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature