The Turkish Journal of Vascular Surgery

Yazarlar: Cengiz BOLCAL, Hikmet İYEM, Murat SARGIN, İlker MATARACI, Selim KILIÇ, Ufuk DEMİRKILIÇ , Harun TATAR

Konular:-

Anahtar Kelimeler:Primary and secondary lymphedema,Venous disease,Leg edema

Özet: Purpose: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the patients with clinically diagnosed lymphedema of lower extremities. We focused on the proportion of primary and secondary lymphedema, the possible etiologic factors. Methods: The male patients who attended to our outpatient clinic during 2000 and 2004 years were evaluated prospectively. Hundred and sixty male patients with circumference difference of 5 centimeters at calf level between two lower extremities or with clinically diagnosed bilateral leg edema were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent duplex ultrasonography for venous system, lymphoscintigraphy for lymph flow. Results: The distribution of age was between 20 and 54 (mean±SD; 22.9±4.3). Among 160 patients, 70.0% lymphedema, 7.5% had chronic venous insufficiency, 3.75% had chronic deep venous thrombosis, 7.5% had concomitant venous disease and lymphatic obstruction, 7.5% had idiopathic edema and in 3.75% the pathology was Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome. Of the patients with primary lymphedema , 18 was praecox type, 6 was of tarda type and 2 congenital type. Conclusion: The causal factors of secondary lymphedema are lymphadenectomy and/or radiotherapy after neoplastic metastasis, cellulitis, lymphangitis. With further diagnostic techniques, the clinical diagnosis of lymphedema was confirmed in 77.5% of the overall patients. It can be said that lymphedema can be diagnosed clinically and further diagnostic techniques can be reserved unless treatment is ineffective. (Turkish J Vasc Surg 2005;14(1):13-17).

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