BACKGROUND: Although most @entity320 on the distal lower extremity drain exclusively to inguinal lymph nodes, a small percentage (<5%) drain to interval nodes in the popliteal basin. We investigated a possible relationship between @entity5 -draining popliteal and inguinal nodes in @entity1 with @entity320 . STUDY DESIGN: We queried our @entity320 database to identify @entity1 who underwent sentinel node biopsy (SNB) for an @entity320 . Patterns of nodal drainage and nodal @entity3 were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 461 @entity1 who underwent SNB for a primary @entity320 , 15 (3.2%) had drainage to the popliteal basin. Thirteen @entity320 were on the posterior leg and foot, and 2 were on the anterior lower leg. Mean Breslow thickness was 2.4 mm. All 15 @entity1 with popliteal drainage also had inguinal drainage and therefore underwent concurrent inguinal and popliteal SNB. The average number of popliteal sentinel nodes was 1.4 (range 1 to 3). Eight @entity1 (53%) had a @entity5 -positive popliteal sentinel node, and 6 of the 8 underwent completion popliteal lymphadenectomy. Four of the 8 @entity1 (50%) also had @entity5 -positive inguinal sentinel nodes; all underwent complete inguinal lymphadenectomy. We also identified 9 additional @entity1 who underwent SNB for locoregional recurrent @entity320 of the infrapopliteal leg. Three (33%) of these @entity1 had concurrent inguinal and popliteal SNB, with 1 @entity5 -positive popliteal node found. CONCLUSIONS: In our series, a high percentage of popliteal sentinel lymph nodes contained @entity3 , and these @entity1 frequently also had inguinal @entity3 . In our @entity1 , all inguinal @entity3 were associated with concomitant popliteal @entity3 . Although it is anatomically separate, the inguinal basin appears to be a functional extension of the popliteal basin.

Management of popliteal sentinel nodes in XXXX .

@entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['tumor', 'isolated tumor'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity320 :: ('MESH:D008545', 'Disease') :: ['melanoma', 'melanomas', 'infrapopliteal melanoma', 'lower-extremity melanoma'] @entity3 :: ('MESH:D009362', 'Disease') :: ['metastasis', 'metastases']
@entity320 :: (MESH:D008545,Disease) :: ['melanoma']
