Table 2 Summary of the studies on lymphatic mapping of the ovaries

Kleppe/2014

21 patients diagnosed with a pelvic mass suggestive of a malignant ovarian tumor

Blue dye/Radiotracer

On the dorsal and ventral side of the proper ovarian ligament and the suspensory ligament, close to the ovary and just underneath the peritoneum

Al least one sentinel node could be identified in all patients (100 % detection rate). Para-aortic region only in 67 %, pelvic region only in 9 %, and in both in 24 %. No false negative case

Negishi/2004

11 women with endometrial or fallopian tube tumors

Activated Charcoal

Into the unilateral cortex of the ovary

Sentinel node could be identified in all patients: para-aortic in all patients, common iliac node in three, and external iliac in one

Nyberg/2011

16 patients with high-risk uterine cancer and normal postmenopausal ovaries

Blue dye/Radiotracer

Slow injection near the hilum of one ovary

Sentinel node could be identified in 15 patients (93.75 % detection rate). All were located in the para-aortic area.

Vanneaville/1991

14 patient who were investigated by laparoscopy, either for ablation of a benign ovarian cyst or for tubal ligation

Radiotracer

Injection into the mesovarium of the normal ovaries during laparoscopy.

Lymphatic drainage could be discerned in 12 patients. Isolated para-aortic sentinel nodes in 4, combined pelvic/para-aortic sentinel nodes in 8.

Lymphatic drainage was investigated by lymphoscintigraphy 4–6 h post-injection.

Isolated para-aortic drainage was more prominent in the post-menopausal (75 %) as compared to the pre-menopausal patients (12.5 %).

The current study

35 patients with ovarian tumors

Radiotracer

Sub-cortical in 11 and sub-peritoneal (ovarian and suspensory ligaments) in 24

Detection rate of 40 % in the sub-cortical and 84 % in the sub-peritoneal group. Sentinel nodes were identified in 21 patient in the para-aortic area only and in 4 in the pelvic/para-aortic area. No false negative case was identified