ABSTRACT:
The lymphatic mammary system in healthy and neoplastic animals has been poorly studied. There is sparse information regarding the communication pattern along the mammary lymphatic chain and abdominal and pelvic lymph nodes in healthy animals or in those bearing mammary neoplasms. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of such intra-abdominal lymphatic communications, as well as the feasibility of laparoscopic assessment of the inguinoiliac lymphatic chain. Animals were randomly divided into three groups: dogs that underwent lymphatic staining with sterile methylene blue solution (G1); lymphatic staining with indocyanine green dye (G2); placebo subjects were submitted to the same injection technique, but using sterile normal saline (G3). In all groups, intradermal administration of dye or saline around the right inguinal mammary gland was performed 12 hours or 30 minutes before skin incision. Afterwards, two areas containing adipose tissue were sampled laparoscopically, lateral to the external and internal iliac arteries, and the number of lymph nodes retrieved was assessed. Animals were submitted to ovariohysterectomy using the same laparoscopic approach, following adipose tissue/lymph node excision. Other assessments included operative time, intra and postoperative complications and technical difficulties. The proposed technique for intra-abdominal iliac lymphadenectomy was not successful in recovering lymph nodes. The lymphatic staining technique using either methylene blue or indocyanine green provided no intraoperative staining. Regarding the complications and technical difficulties, all animals presented mild hypersensitivity reactions regardless of the dye used. Laparoscopy for inguinoiliac lymph node exploration presented no other technical difficulties or postoperative complications.
Key words:
laparoscopy; metastasis; lymphatic drainage; sentinel lymph node; dogs
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