Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41936680›Full record

ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2026

Comparison of Indocyanine Green Versus Isosulfan Blue in Melanoma Sentinel Node Biopsy.

Tannaz Ranjbarian, Ashwyn K Sharma, Michael Turner, Michael Bouvet, Joel M Baumgartner

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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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

5 authors.

Tannaz RanjbarianDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
Ashwyn K SharmaDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
Michael TurnerDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
Michael BouvetDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
Joel M BaumgartnerDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA. j1baumgartner@health.ucsd.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the standard for staging melanoma. Traditional dual-mapping with technetium-99m radioisotope (RI) and isosulfan blue (IB) has logistical and clinical limitations. Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence has emerged as an alternative tracer, but its comparative performance in melanoma SLNB remains incompletely defined. This study aimed to compare the intraoperative concordance of ICG versus IB as adjunct tracers to RI in melanoma SLNB.

methodsThis retrospective cohort study analyzed 375 consecutive patients with cutaneous melanoma undergoing SLNB at a single center (October 2012 to February 2024), with 170 patients receiving ICG+RI and 215 receiving IB+RI. The primary outcome was the intraoperative concordance of each tracer with RI for SLN detection at the patient and node levels. The secondary outcomes included detection of pathology-positive nodes, tracer discordance, adverse events, and AI-assisted identification of dye-positive and RI-negative ("dye-rescued") SLNs.

resultsAmong the 375 patients (median age, 62 years; 54.7 % male), 890 SLNs were excised. Concordance with RI was higher for ICG than for IB (98.6 % vs 34.8 % per patient; 97.7 % vs 34.9 % per node; P < 0.001). Discordance rates mirrored this pattern (1.4 % vs 65.2 %). All pathology-positive nodes in the ICG group were localized intraoperatively (100 %) compared with 53.4 % in the IB group. No tracer-related allergic reactions occurred. The AI-assisted review confirmed nine ICG cases and one IB case of dye-rescued SLNs.

conclusionsIn this single-center cohort, ICG fluorescence demonstrated higher concordance with RI than with IB and reliably identified pathology-positive SLNs. These findings support the potential value of ICG as an adjunct tracer in melanoma SLNB.

Indexed as

Coloring AgentsIndocyanine GreenMelanomaRosaniline DyesSentinel Lymph NodeSentinel Lymph Node BiopsySkin NeoplasmsAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisRetrospective StudiesColoring AgentsIndocyanine Greeniso-sulfan blueRosaniline DyesArtificial intelligenceIndocyanine greenIsosulfan blueMelanomaNear-infrared fluorescence imagingRadioisotope mappingSentinel lymph node biopsySurgical oncology

Identifiers

PMID41936680

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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.