ArticleEuropean radiology2026
Sonazoid-enhanced ultrasound for preoperative localization and characterization of sentinel lymph nodes in patients with cutaneous melanoma.
Article in European radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveAccurate sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification is essential for the staging of cutaneous melanoma. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound using Sonazoid (Sonazoid-CEUS), which is based on a perfluorobutane microbubble contrast agent with reticuloendothelial uptake properties, was evaluated for SLN detection in patients with stage Ib-II melanoma. MATERIALS AND
methodsIn this prospective single-arm cohort study, 71 eligible subjects underwent perilesional intradermal Sonazoid-CEUS, followed by lymphoscintigraphy and SLN biopsy. The numbers of SLNs detected via CEUS and lymphoscintigraphy were compared by using non-parametric paired analysis (Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The diagnostic accuracy of CEUS for metastatic involvement was evaluated against histopathological results.
resultsSonazoid-CEUS achieved a 97.3% success rate in identifying SLNs, detecting 148 SLNs, with an average of 2.1 ± 1.1 SLNs per patient. Most patients (93.0%) had single-basin lymphatic drainage. For metastasis detection, CEUS demonstrated 82.1% sensitivity, 88.4% specificity, and 85.9% accuracy. Ulceration, high mitotic count, and HMB45 positivity in primary lesions were significantly associated with SLN metastasis. No contrast-related adverse events were observed.
conclusionSonazoid-CEUS is a safe and accurate non-radioactive technique for SLN identification and preoperative diagnosis in patients with cutaneous melanoma; moreover, it exhibits potential value as a complementary imaging modality within established SLNB workflows. KEY POINTS: Question Can a non-radioactive contrast-enhanced ultrasound technique using Sonazoid improve preoperative localization and characterization of sentinel lymph nodes in patients with cutaneous melanoma? Findings In this prospective study, Sonazoid-CEUS identified sentinel lymph nodes in 97.3% of patients and showed high diagnostic accuracy without contrast-related adverse events. Clinical relevance Sonazoid-CEUS provides a non-radioactive adjunct for preoperative sentinel lymph node mapping and characterization in cutaneous melanoma, thereby potentially improving surgical planning while offering complementary functional information alongside conventional lymphoscintigraphy.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.