CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Vol 19, 295-298, Copyright
© 1969 by American Cancer Society
Scalene Node Biopsy: Correlation With Other Diagnostic Procedures in 550 Cases
Louis T. Palumbo M.D. and
Wendell S. Sharpe M.D.
Scalene node excision with, in some cases, removal of inferior cervical paratracheal-esophageal and upper-anterosuperior mediastinal nodes, is an accurate adjunctive histologic or bacteriofungal diagnostic procedure or both for patients with intrathoracic lesions and certain obscure systemic diseases. It should be a part of the various modalities used in establishing a diagnosis for pulmonary diseases.
Through its judicious use and with proper interpretation, thoracotomy can be avoided in a number of patients, particularly in those with primary or metastatic pulmonary carcinoma, sarcoidosis, and specific granulomas.
The incidence of positive nodes in proved cases of primary pulmonary carcinoma was 23 percent. In patients with palpable nodes, the biopsy was positive in 89 percent, and in patients with nonpalpable nodes, it was positive in 11 percent. In patients with clinically operable primary pulmonary carcinoma, the biopsy was positive in 20 percent. In cases of sarcoidosis, the positive rate is highest, being 82 percent.
Scalene node biopsy is a simple, rapid, and dependable adjunctive method for establishing a cellular, bacteriologic, or fungous diagnosis, confirming a clinical impression or diagnosis and as an aid in determination of operability of a pulmonary lesion, provided a careful adequate surgical dissection has been performed and full cooperation has been obtained from a competent pathologist and bacteriologist.
