General
=========================================================================

• See also breast-axillary nodes, breast-sentinel nodes, staging for various malignancies
• Most lymph nodes are near the wall of the organ
• Be aware of minimal number of nodes required for staging some carcinomas
• Either (a) search the fat for nodes while fresh using scissors and forceps and avoid crushing the nodes, or (b) fix overnight, then search for nodes by shredding the tissue; lymph nodes stand out as white nodules; Carnoy’s solution helps clear the fat
• Clearing solutions (such as ethanol, diethyl ether, glacial acetic acid and formalin) may help identify additional lymph nodes (Am J Surg Pathol 1997;21:1387, Arch Pathol Lab Med 2003;127:1552, Arch Pathol Lab Med 2001;125:642)
• For each anatomic group, describe the number of nodes, the size of the largest node, and any gross features
• Submit all lymph nodes for histology; section node if 5 mm or greater in diameter
• For large nodes grossly involved by tumor, only one section needs to be submitted to demonstrate tumor and possible extranodal extension, but save remainder for resampling if necessary
• For other large nodes, submission of entire node detects additional metastases in some cases (Am J Clin Pathol 1998;109:571)
• Describe number of nodes in each cassette and whether whole or sectioned

This information is intended for physicians and related personnel, who understand that medical information is often imperfect, and must be interpreted in the context of a patient's clinical data using reasonable medical judgment. This website should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a licensed physician.

All information on this website is protected by copyright of PathologyOutlines.com, Inc. Information from third parties may also be protected by copyright. Please contact us at copyrightPathOut@gmail.com with any questions (click here for other contact information).