Overview
Methylene blue is a visible blue dye used to stain tissues for surgical mapping, sentinel node localization and leak testing.
Properties
It is water soluble, stains tissues and lymphatics, and is visible to the naked eye and under standard surgical lighting.
Uses
Used for sentinel lymph node mapping, identification of fistulas and leak testing during gastrointestinal surgery.
Safety
May cause local tissue staining and rare systemic effects; avoid in patients on serotonergic drugs due to risk of serotonin syndrome.