Assessment of pelvic, para-aortic or inguinal lymph nodes (LNs) provides not only important prognostic information, but also determines the need for adjuvant treatment. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has the potential to provide this prognostic information, while reducing morbidity compared with extended LN dissection. This review discusses the clinical and pathological aspects of SLN biopsy in gynaecological cancer.