IMAGING THE SENTINEL LYMPH NODE IN SMALL ANIMAL ONCOLOGY

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has become the cornerstone for tumor staging in patients affected by different solid tumors. To identify the first lymph node draining the tumor site, several mapping modalities have been investigated in human medicine and applied in veterinary oncology, either as experimental models or in clinical setting. In this dissertation, after an extensive literature review, we investigate the principal SLN imaging techniques, such as lymphoscintigraphy, which is considered the gold standard in human oncology, the use of blue dye and computed tomography (CT)-indirect lymphography for SLN mapping in canine patients with spontaneous malignant tumors. The feasibility of Single Proton Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)/CT images fusion is described for the first time in clinical veterinary oncology. The results of these studies reinforce the paramount importance of SLN mapping incorporation in veterinary practice, supporting the use of combined techniques to increase the SLN detection rate.