Noninvasive, objective evaluation of lower extremity lymphedema severity using shear wave elastography: A preliminary study

Increased skin and subcutaneous tissue stiffness in patients with early-stage lymphedema has been reported. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of shear wave elastography (SWE) for evaluating lower extremity lymphedema (LEL). For 10 lower extremities of normal controls and 72 limbs of p...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery reconstructive & aesthetic surgery, 2021-12, Vol.74 (12), p.3377-3385
Main Authors: Akita, Shinsuke, Yoshida, Kenji, Omura, Masaaki, Yamaji, Yoshihisa, Tezuka, Takafumi, Tokumoto, Hideki, Azuma, Kazuhiko, Ikehara, Yuzuru, Yamaguchi, Tadashi, Mitsukawa, Nobuyuki
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biopsy
Dermal thickness
Elasticity Imaging Techniques
Female
Genital Neoplasms, Female - complications
Humans
Indocyanine Green
Indocyanine green lymphography
Lower Extremity - diagnostic imaging
Lymphedema
Lymphedema - diagnostic imaging
Lymphedema - etiology
Lymphography
Male
Middle Aged
Severity of Illness Index
Shear wave elastography
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Increased skin and subcutaneous tissue stiffness in patients with early-stage lymphedema has been reported. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of shear wave elastography (SWE) for evaluating lower extremity lymphedema (LEL). For 10 lower extremities of normal controls and 72 limbs of patients with gynecological cancer whose lymphatic function was categorized into six stages based on the range of dermal backflow (DBF) observed in indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography, SWE was performed and shear wave velocity (SWV) of the dermis and three layers of subcutaneous tissue at the thigh and calf were recorded. Twenty-five patients underwent thigh tissue histological and dermal thickness examinations. The strongest correlation between the ICG DBF stage and SWV during SWE was observed on the dermal layer of the thigh (p < 0.01, R = 0.67). There was a significant correlation between the dermal thickness of the thigh and the ICG DBF stage (p < 0.01, R = 0.87) and also between the dermal thickness of the thigh and SWV (p < 0.01, R = 0.73). Noninvasive, objective evaluation of LEL severity using SWE was well correlated with lymphatic function as determined by ICG lymphography. The DBF changes in the dermis of the thigh best reflected the changes in lymphatic function. Dermal thickness variations may partially account for differences in SWV.
ISSN:1748-6815
1878-0539
DOI:10.1016/j.bjps.2021.05.013