Optimal Lymphadenectomy of the Mesopancreas Based on Fluorescence Imaging During Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Background Excision of the mesopancreas with lymphadenectomy is an important component of pancreatoduodenectomy. However, the optimal extent of lymphadenectomy remains unclear. Furthermore, accurate description of the mesopancreatic lymphatic pathways is difficult, probably because of the complex anatomy. Intestinal derotation simplifies the anatomy and facilitates both examination of lymphatic flow and the surgical procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate lymphatic flow in the mesopancreas using indocyanine green fluorescence imaging with an intestinal derotation technique, and to clarify the optimal extent of mesopancreas excision and lymphadenectomy in pancreatoduodenectomy. Methods Indocyanine green solution (2.5 × 10 −3 mg) was injected into the pancreatic head parenchyma. After intestinal derotation, the spread of indocyanine green was observed using near-infrared imaging. Results Participants comprised 10 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for periampullary neoplasms. With indocyanine green fluorescence imaging, 9 of the 10 patients showed lymphatic flow from the pancreatic head to the superior mesenteric artery via the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery and first jejunal artery (but not via the second and more distant arteries), with eventual drainage into the paraaortic region. Conclusions Lymphatic pathways from the pancreatic head were connected to the superior mesenteric artery via the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery and first jejunal artery. Excision of the mesopancreas with the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery and first jejunal artery while preserving the second or more distant arteries appears optimal in pancreatoduodenectomy for periampullary malignancies.