Bilateral removal of the mandibular and medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes through a single ventral midline incision for staging of head and neck cancers in dogs: a description of surgical technique

Currently, there is no standard protocol for removal of regional lymph nodes for the staging of head and neck cancers in dogs. Palpation and fine needle aspiration of mandibular lymph nodes are most commonly performed for staging of head and neck cancers. Although cytology is commonly performed for staging of head and neck, cancers histopathology is required for definitive lymph node staging. When regional lymph node biopsy is performed, mandibular lymph nodes are most commonly sampled due to their accessibility. The medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes may be the most relevant draining lymph node of the head and neck, but they are not routinely sampled due to their anatomic location medial to the salivary glands. The technique described here will allow for a standardized surgical approach for the efficient removal of both mandibular and medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes for staging of head and neck tumours via a single ventral midline approach.