Indirect cervical lymphoscintigraphy in healthy subjects via submucosal cheek injections.

A new method of cervical lymphoscintigraphy is presented. It was performed on 16 healthy individuals via bilateral submucosal cheek injections with 99mTc-rhenium-sulfide-colloid. The ipsilateral uptake by the lymphatics on each side of the neck was consistently demonstrated in 15 subjects and allowed a comparative evaluation of the cervical lymphatic chains, including the submental, submandibular, jugulo-digastric and jugulo-omohyoid. The transverse cervical chain was demonstrated in 10 of 16 subjects. The method is simple, reliable and capable of clearly visualizing the lymphatic drainage of the oral cavity.