Lymphedema secondary to breast cancer causes physical and psychological morbidity and compromises quality of life. The objective of this literature review was to study lymphatic compensation after surgery for breast cancer and the factors that influence this process, with a view to understanding the etiopathogenesis of lymphedema. Articles indexed on Pubmed published from 1985 to 2012 were revi...

The palmoplantar keratodermas are a heterogenous group of hereditary disorders of keratinization. They are characterized by epidermal thickening and a yellow waxy appearance of the palms and soles. Genetic studies have linked various forms of palmoplantar keratoderma to markers on chromosomes one, twelve, and seventeen, and several genes have been identified. Primary lymphedema is occasionally ...

In countries where bancroftian filariasis is endemic, lymphedema of the leg is a public health problem, particularly for women, who are disproportionately affected. We investigated the effect of basic lymphedema management (hygiene, skin care, and lower limb movement and elevation) on the histologic features of lymphedema. A total of 118 skin-punch biopsy specimens were collected from the legs ...

Primary of hereditary lymphedema is a rare but progressive disease. It is yet not curable. We present a 48-year-old male patient with hereditary lymphedema of his left leg, that was realised by minor trauma (able twist) when he was seven years old. He had never been treated for lymphedema but experienced multiple erysipelas during his life. After diagnostic procedures to exclude other causes of...

Secondary lymphedema, a life-long complication of cancer treatment, currently has no cure. Lymphedema patients have decreased quality of life and recurrent infections with treatments limited to palliative measures. Accumulating evidence indicates that T cells play a key role in the pathology of lymphedema by promoting tissue fibrosis and inhibiting lymphangiogenesis. Here using mouse models, we...

Purpose: Secondary lymphedema is a frequent complication of breast cancer associated with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation following breast cancer treatment. The potential contribution of genetic susceptibility to risk of developing secondary lymphedema following surgical trauma, radiation, and other tissue insults has not been studied. Experimental Design: To determine whether women with br...

BACKGROUND: We studied potential risk factors for lymphedema in a contemporary population of older breast cancer patients. METHODS: Telephone surveys were conducted among women (65-89 years) identified from Medicare claims as having initial breast cancer surgery in 2003. Lymphedema was classified by self-report. Surgery and pathology information was obtained from Medicare claims and the state c...

OBJECTIVE Lymphedema is a chronic major complication that is seen frequently post-operatively and has negative effects on quality of life. In our study, determining the early-stage postoperative lymphedema frequency and specifying the risk factors in its development has been aimed. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred one cases that were operated on for breast cancer were evaluated regarding the...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To review the normal physiology of the blood capillary-interstitial-lymphatic vessel interface, describe the pathophysiology of lymphedema secondary to treatment for breast cancer, and summarize the physiologic bases of the current National Lymphedema Network (NLN) risk reduction guidelines. DATA SOURCES Journal articles, anatomy and physiology textbooks, published research...

BACKGROUND Known risk factors for secondary lymphedema only partially explain who develops lymphedema following cancer, suggesting that inherited genetic susceptibility may influence risk. Moreover, identification of molecular signatures could facilitate lymphedema risk prediction prior to surgery or lead to effective drug therapies for prevention or treatment. Recent advances in the molecular ...