Radiographic imaging of lymph nodes in lymph node dissection specimens.

A new method of identifying and locating lymph nodes in lymph node dissection specimens using a radiographic imaging technique is described. The specimen is immersed in 96% ethyl alcohol which possesses a radiographic density similar to fat tissue. Even small immersed lymph nodes contrast well with 96% ethyl alcohol. Thus, a radiograph of a nodal dissection specimen, immersed in 96% ethyl alcohol, does not show the interfering projection of variations in thickness of the specimen. Simultaneously, lymph nodes are clearly imaged. Using this procedure, we could visualize 97% of all lymph nodes present in the fat tissue of lymph node dissection specimens, which were dissected free from large radiodense structures like muscle and submandibular glands. Thus, a simple method was established for radiographic documentation of lymph nodes in lymph node dissection specimens.