Subpleural lung nodules (SPNs) represent a significant surgical challenge due to their invisibility during minimally invasive procedures, despite their frequent association with early-stage, potentially curable lung cancers. Several localization techniques exist, among which dye-based marking remains attractive because of its simplicity, low cost, and favorable safety profile. However, concerns regarding dye stability, dispersibility, and the lack of standardized protocols have limited its wider clinical adoption. Exact data about time safe window from marking for the operation to be performed is also missing. Comparative data on commonly used dyes are scarce, never done under directly comparable conditions within the same lung tissue.
This study aims to evaluate the in vivo behavior of three dyes that have some evidence of previous use — Methylene Blue, Patent Blue, and Indocyanine Green — in a domestic pig model, chosen for its close anatomical and histological similarity to human lungs. Dyes will be mixed with X-ray contrast substance and injected thoracotomically into defined parenchymal depth, with surface, and eventually intraparenchymal, dispersibility monitored for up to eight hours. The primary endpoint is determination of a safe operational time window for reliable localization for every substance, while secondary objectives include assessing dye stability, with a focus on the hypothesized superiority of Patent Blue.
The project builds upon prior ex vivo pilot work and addresses the ethical limitations of human comparative studies. Results are expected to support future standardization of dye-based SPN localization and be a basis for subsequent prospective randomized clinical trial with external grant funding.

Cíle udržitelného rozvoje

Masarykova univerzita se hlásí k cílům udržitelného rozvoje OSN, jejichž záměrem je do roku 2030 zlepšit podmínky a kvalitu života na naší planetě.