methylene blue

[MaryRyngaert]

Good Morning,

I would appreciate any input you can give me to advise a young mother. She is having methylene blue injected around a recently discovered tumor on her leg to discern sentinel nodes. She is still nursing a one year old child and would like to resume as she can prior to treatment. Thank you!

[MaryRyngaert]

I have received a correction on the contrast that will be used...it is lymphazurin. Would appreciate your input.

[admin]

Mary:

This is what I know about isosulfan blue. I'd suggest a 24 hour wait following surgery. But this is just a guess.


Tom Hale PH.D.

Isosulfan blue is a contrast agent used for visualization of the lymphatic system drainage. Each mL of solution contains 10 mg isosulfan blue, 6.6 mg sodium monohydrogen phosphate, and 2.7 mg potassium dihydrogen phosphate.[1] Isosulfan blue has higher rate of success in detecting sentinel lymph nodes than does technetium-99m sulfur colloid (TSC).[2] Severe adverse reactions have been documented, such as a sudden drop in systolic arterial pressure during surgery only stabilized by continuous epinephrine infusions of 400 ?g/hour.[3] Methylene blue dye has been shown to be equally effective without the chance of severe adverse side effects, and thus its use is increasing.[4] No data are available on the transfer of isosulfan blue into breast milk, and therefore caution should be used in breastfeeding mothers.