SPECT/CT Has High Predictive Value in Lymph Node Biopsies

How sensitive is single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) in sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for cutaneous malignancies of the head and neck?

Background: Early identification of metastatic disease followed by node dissection has been shown to provide a survival benefit for many cutaneous malignancies. Recently, SPECT/CT has been introduced as another adjunct to improve SLNB. No study has quantified the test’s reliability in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value, and it is unknown if SPECT/CT reliability varies by primary tumor subsite.

Study design: Blinded retrospective imaging review of 47 patients (92 imaging reads) with a head and neck cutaneous malignancy who underwent pre-operative SPECT/CT followed by sentinel lymph node biopsy with a gamma probe between May 2010 and April 2013.

Setting: Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston.

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