Morbidity of dynamic sentinel node biopsy in penile carcinoma.

PURPOSE

We report on the morbidity of dynamic sentinel lymph node biopsy (DSNB) in penile squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between 1994 and 2003 DSNB was performed in 129 patients with T2 or T3 penile SCC who had 243 clinically node negative groins. Patients with groins with a tumor positive sentinel node underwent additional standard inguinal lymphadenectomy.

RESULTS

A total of 285 sentinel nodes were harvested in 223 explored groins. The sentinel nodes were tumor-free in 189 groins. A total of 34 standard inguinal lymphadenectomies were performed because of a tumor positive sentinel node. There were 6 regional relapses during a median followup of 50 months (range 5 to 124) resulting in a false-negative rate of 15% (6 of 40 groins). This rate was 17% when calculated per patient (6 of 35 patients). Early and/or late complications following DSNB only occurred in 7% (14 of 189) of the groins. After DSNB followed by a standard inguinal lymphadenectomy, the rate was 68% (23 of 34). All complications of DSNB were minor and easily managed.

CONCLUSIONS

Morbidity of DSNB in penile SCC is low. However, an in field recurrence after a negative DSNB is perhaps the greatest complication of the procedure.