{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T05:42:18Z","timestamp":1778823738134,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,1]],"date-time":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1677628800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Melanoma is a malignant tumor that determines approximately 80% of deaths as skin cancer-related. The sentinel lymph node (SLN) represents the first filter of tumor cells toward systemic dissemination. The primary objective was to outline the surgical specifics of the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) technique, correlate the location of the lymph node with the radiotracer load, and identify the characteristics of older patients. Methods: In this prospective study, 122 cases of malignant melanoma needing SLNB technique were included, between June 2019 and November 2022, resulting in 162 lymph nodes removed. Results: Patients\u2019 mean age was 54.3 \u00b1 14.4 years old, the prevalence of 70 years and older being 20.5%. The rate of positive SLN was 24.6%, with a single drainage in 68.9% of cases. The frequency of seroma was 14.8%, while reintervention 1.6%. The inguinal nodes had the highest preoperative radiotracer load (p = 0.015). Patients 70 years old or older had significantly more advanced-stage melanoma (68.0% vs. 45.4%, p = 0.044, OR = 2.56) and a higher rate of positive SLN (40.0% vs. 20.6%, p = 0.045,OR = 2.57). Melanoma of the head and neck was more common among older individuals (32.0% vs. 9.3%, p = 0.007,OR = 4.60). Conclusions: The SLNB has a low rate of surgical complications and the positivity of SLN is not related to radiotracer load. Elderly patients are at risk for head and neck melanoma, have more advanced stages, a higher SLN positivity, and a greater rate of surgical complications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics13050926","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,1]],"date-time":"2023-03-01T03:03:48Z","timestamp":1677639828000},"page":"926","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["The Characteristics of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Cutaneous Melanoma and the Particularities for Elderly Patients\u2014Experience of a Single Clinic"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8944-3857","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Florin","family":"Bobirc\u0103","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgery Department, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Surgery Department, Dr. Ion Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital, 011437 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Dr. Leventer Centre, 011216 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tiberiu","family":"Tebeic\u0103","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dr. Leventer Centre, 011216 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adela","family":"Pumnea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gauss Clinics, 011255 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dan","family":"Dumitrescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgery Department, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Surgery Department, Dr. Ion Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital, 011437 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Dr. Leventer Centre, 011216 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7053-7530","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristina","family":"Alexandru","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Department, Dr. Ion Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital, 011437 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Banciu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dr. Leventer Centre, 011216 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ionela Loredana","family":"Popa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgery Department, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Marie Curie Emergency Children\u2019s Hospital, 041451 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6662-7354","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anca","family":"Bobirc\u0103","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Department, Dr. Ion Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital, 011437 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Department, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3154-6527","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mihaela","family":"Leventer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dr. Leventer Centre, 011216 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Traian","family":"P\u0103tra\u0219cu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgery Department, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Surgery Department, Dr. Ion Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital, 011437 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"236","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejca.2022.03.008","article-title":"European consensus-based interdisciplinary guideline for melanoma. 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