TY - JOUR T1 - Improved Body-Outline Imaging Technique for Localization of Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Breast Surgery JF - Journal of Nuclear Medicine JO - J Nucl Med SP - 1181 LP - 1183 VL - 43 IS - 9 AU - Elizabeth Clarke AU - Alp Notghi AU - Keith Harding Y1 - 2002/09/01 UR - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/43/9/1181.abstract N2 - Many centers use techniques for localizing the sentinel lymph node (SLN) associated with a breast tumor. Protocols involve the use of an intraoperative probe and blue dye but may or may not include scintigraphy. Methods: Three methods of body-outline imaging were investigated to aid SLN localization. Body outlines were acquired using a handheld source; a transmission image was acquired from a 57Co-flood source; and, finally, a new method is described using a 153Gd-line source attenuation correction for body outline. Results: Method 1 images were of low quality, although 83% of SLNs were visualized. Body outline was unsatisfactory for surgical localization. Method 2 was unsatisfactory because of the lack of a lateral image. Method 3 enabled good presurgical visualization of the SLN (73%) and speeded surgical localization. Conclusion: The 153Gd-line source consistently gives optimal-quality body-outline images. This source is simple, quick, and clearly locates the SLN on multiple projections. ER -