Sentinel node mapping in conjunctival and eyelid malignancies: a mini-review

Purpose and backgroundSentinel node biopsy (SNB) is routinely performed in patients with melanoma, breast cancer, gynaecological malignancies and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma, but not for eyelid and conjunctival tumours. Several studies have demonstrated the feasibility and safety of the procedure, therefore this mini-review aimed to analyse the current knowledge about radioguided SNB in eyelid and conjunctival tumours.MethodsWe identified the most relevant clinical studies on SNB performed with radiotracers in eyelid and conjunctival tumours, providing technical and methodological information.ResultsWe included a total of nine studies, employing Tc-99m-sulphur colloid or albumin nanocolloids. In three studies, SPECT/CT was performed, which was helpful in defining the number and sites of the sentinel nodes and their relationship with adjacent anatomical structures. The sentinel node was identified in most studies (imaging detection rate from 82 to 100%). The positive rate for metastases ranged from 0 to 100%, leading to a change in management in case of positivity.ConclusionRadioguided SNB can be considered a feasible and safe procedure for conjunctival and eyelid malignancies, which could provide prognostic information for the treatment choice. Further confirmation in larger cohorts and longer follow-up periods is required to establish and validate this role. Finally, standardisation of the procedure would be useful.