Lymphatic imaging: Focus on imaging probes

Abstract

In view of the importance of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in tumor staging and patient manage-ment, sensitive and accurate imaging of SLNs has been intensively explored. Along with the ad-vance of the imaging technology, various contrast agents have been developed for lymphatic im-aging. In this review, the lymph node imaging agents were summarized into three groups: tumor targeting agents, lymphatic targeting agents and lymphatic mapping agents. Tumor targeting agents are used to detect metastatic tumor tissue within LNs, lymphatic targeting agents aim to visualize lymphatic vessels and lymphangionesis, while lymphatic mapping agents are mainly for SLN de-tection during surgery after local administration. Coupled with various signal emitters, these imaging agents work with single or multiple imaging modalities to provide a valuable way to evaluate the location and metastatic status of SLNs.