Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41887937›Full record

ArticleHead & neck2026

Intraoperative Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Enables Primary Tumor Localization and Treatment De-Escalation in SCCUP: A Case Report.

Nikhil Bellamkonda, Nitish Khurana, Eric Babajanian, Hamidreza Ghandehari, Jeremiah A Alt, Richard B Cannon

Abstract readCase Reports
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Head & neck, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Nikhil BellamkondaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8170-7160
Nitish KhuranaDepartment of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1683-8775
Eric BabajanianDepartment of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Hamidreza GhandehariDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Jeremiah A AltDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Richard B CannonDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Funding

Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUnknown primary cancer in the head and neck presents a difficult surgical treatment dilemma. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary (SCCUP) typically present with an enlarging neck mass found on biopsy but with no indication of primary site on diagnostic exams such as flexible laryngoscopy, CT, MRI, and/or PET/CT. Failure to identify primary sites eliminates surgical treatment as an option, pushing patients toward definitive chemoradiation with associated side effects.

methodsIndocyanine green (ICG) has been used to identify primary carcinoma in known oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma while using transoral robotic surgery (TORS). In this case, we injected ICG intraoperatively in a patient with SCCUP to help with the real-time localization of ICG in the tumor.

resultsICG fluorescence successfully identified a previously undetected primary lesion within the oropharynx during TORS, which enabled precise surgical excision of the tumor.

conclusionsThis case demonstrates the potential of ICG-guided TORS to localize primary tumors in SCCUP patients, offering a pathway to surgical treatment and potentially reducing reliance on chemoradiation.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Squamous CellIndocyanine GreenNeoplasms, Unknown PrimaryOropharyngeal NeoplasmsRobotic Surgical ProceduresColoring AgentsFemaleFluorescenceHumansIntraoperative CareMiddle AgedColoring AgentsIndocyanine Greenindocyanine greenSCCUPtransoral robotic surgery

Identifiers

PMID41887937
PMCPMC13431916

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.