Cervical versus utero-ovarian ligament injection of the tracer for the pelvic sentinel lymph node mapping in gynecologic oncology: a prospective observational study

In gynecologic oncology, the consolidated injection site for the pelvic sentinel lymph node mapping is the cervix. However, in apparent early-stage ovarian cancer, current trials map the pelvic area injecting the tracers in the utero-ovarian ligament. A different injection site is proposed based on a possible different lymphatic ovarian drainage through the utero-ovarian ligament and uterus and consequently a different pelvic sentinel lymph node mapping than the cervix; however, this was never proven. On that basis, this study aimed to investigate whether injecting the tracer in the utero-ovarian ligament map the same or a different pelvic sentinel lymph node than the cervix.