Background: The concept of sentinel node (SN) has been established in oral cancer. This study aimed to investigate distribution of the area where SN was located.
Method: Ten patients with T1-2 N0 tongue cancers underwent SN biopsy following partial glossectomy. SNs were detected using gamma camera and gamma probe and were analyzed pathologically.
Result: SN was localized in 9 submandibular, 14 upper jugular, 5 middle jugular, 1 lower jugular area in disease side. SN was also localized in 1 upper jugular, and 1 middle jugular area in the opposite side. Occult SN metastasis was observed in 6 of 10 patients (60%).
Conclusions: It was concluded that the most likely site where SN was detected was upper jugular area in disease side.
