[Impact of nuclear medicine imaging techniques for lymph node surgery]

Urologe A. 2009 Jan;48(1):19-25. doi: 10.1007/s00120-008-1754-x.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Nuclear medicine imaging techniques allow the noninvasive in vivo visualization of cellular and subcellular molecular processes. In the context of lymph node surgery and patient management in uro-oncology, two molecular nuclear imaging techniques deserve special interest: positron emission tomography (PET) for staging, restaging, and follow-up, and preoperative identification and subsequent biopsy of the sentinel lymph node (the first lymph node in the lymphatic drainage system of the tumor). Both methods and their clinical potential are described in this review. Future trends in molecular imaging in uro-oncology are also discussed.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Lymph Nodes / surgery*
  • Lymphatic Metastasis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Lymphatic Metastasis / pathology*
  • Molecular Probe Techniques*
  • Radiography
  • Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / methods*
  • Surgery, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed / methods*