Diferentes sítios de aplicação de azul patente para linfadenectomia dos ilíacos mediais em felinas com neoplasias mamárias

Abstract

Mammary gland neoplasia is the third most common type of tumor in felines, accounting for approximately 17% of all neoplastic processes in this species, surpassed only by hematopoietic and cutaneous tumors. Unlike in dogs, mammary tumors in cats exhibit notably more aggressive behavior, with malignancy estimated in approximately 80% of cases. The age range for occurrence varies from 9 months to 23 years, with a mean age between 10 and 12 years, and the prognosis is frequently guarded to poor, representing a clinical challenge for veterinarians. Considering the relevance of the lymphatic system in tumor dissemination, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of lymphatic mapping using patent blue dye for the identification of the medial iliac lymph node in female cats with mammary neoplasia, comparing two dye injection sites: peritumoral intradermal (Group 1) and intrauterine (Group 2). Additionally, the study aimed to analyze the relationship between lymph node staining and factors such as tumor histopathological type, clinical staging, and body weight, as well as to produce informational materials for the owner of affected cats. A total of 16 queens treated at the Veterinary Hospital of Universidade Feevale were included. These animals underwent unilateral radical mastectomy, ovariohysterectomy, and bilateral lymphadenectomy of the medial iliac lymph nodes, followed by histopathological evaluation. Most patients presented with grade 2 (50%) or grade 3 (31.25%) tubular mammary carcinoma, and lymph node histopathology revealed lymphoid hyperplasia (100.00%) with no evidence of metastasis. Lymph node staining was more frequent in Group 1 (57.1%) than in Group 2 (33.3%), although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.572). No statistically significant associations were found between lymph node staining and the presence of ulceration, clinical staging, or body weight. However, Group 1 exhibited a significantly shorter surgical time (p = 0.017), suggesting greater operative efficiency with the peritumoral technique. In conclusion, the use of patent blue dye for lymphatic mapping is a feasible and safe method for identifying the medial iliac lymph node in queens with mammary neoplasia, offering potential benefits for surgical planning and oncological staging, particularly when applied peritumorally. Further studies with larger sample sizes and the integration of complementary imaging techniques are recommended to validate these findings. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]