The author is interested in problems of sentinel lymph node detection in malignant melanoma patients. There are described methods of scintigraphic detection, utilization of surgical gamma probe and isosulphan blue dye. Sentinel nodes were found by one, two, or all three methods in 138 malignant melanoma patients. None of these three methods found nodes in 6 patients. Generally, there were imaged 242 lymph nodes (average 1.75 nodes in one patient). Lymph nodes metastatic involvement was demonstrated in 11 patients (8% of all). The sentinel node detection by various methods was compared. It follows from the data obtained that parallel use of scintigraphy, surgical gamma probe and isosulphan blue dye is the most effective combination for sentinel lymph node detection.

        Key words: sentinel lymph node – lymphoscintigraphy – radioguided surgery – surgical gamma probe – isosulphan blue dye – malignant melanoma