A correct lymph node (LN) staging is essential in oncological surgery. Indocyanine green (ICG) near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) guided sentinel lymph node (SLN) navigation is a relatively novel technique. The aim of this review is to analyze the impact of ICG-NIRF on identification of LN metastases of gastrointestinal tumors. The Scopus and PubMed/MEDLINE literature databases were searched and 20 studies were included. The ICG-NIRF navigation of LN has been shown to enable and improve LN detection in gastrointestinal tumors; however, the mean detection, sensitivity, accuracy and false negative rates show substantial variation. This could be due to both the heterogeneous techniques applied and to the low retention of ICG by lymph nodes. Fluorescence imaging to identify LN drainage is a promising tool to improve oncological outcomes. Nonetheless, the technique requires further development in terms of hardware, software and fluorophores, which are currently being investigated.
Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Esophageal cancer; Gastric cancer; Near-infrared fluorescence imaging; Sentinel lymph node mapping.