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J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord 2020 May 21. Epub 2020 May 21.

Department of Surgery A, Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya, Israel, Faculty of Medicine of the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University; Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Ramat Gan, Israel. Electronic address:

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lymphaticovenular anastomosis in patients with lymphedema.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 70 patients suffering from primary or secondary extremity lymphedema who underwent lymphaticovenular anastomosis surgery with indocyanine green fluorescent lymphangiography. Postoperative evaluation included qualitative and quantitative volumetric assessment and analysis. Read More

J Surg Oncol 2020 May 23. Epub 2020 May 23.

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.

J Surg Oncol 2020 May 23. Epub 2020 May 23.

Department of Anesthesiology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.

J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord 2020 May 20. Epub 2020 May 20.

Cardiovascular Center, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.

Objective: Lymphedema (LED) affects an estimated 35 million patients in the United States and a staggering 140,200 million people worldwide, yet LED is the forgotten vascular disease. Whereas the diagnosis and treatment of arterial and venous diseases have been strengthened by the development of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), few CPGs are available for LED. Moreover, for CPGs to have their greatest impact, they should be both of high quality and developed using the most rigorous evidence-based methods. Read More

J Clin Oncol 2020 May 22:JCO1902896. Epub 2020 May 22.

Lymphedema Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.

Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2020 Apr 23;8(4):e2721. Epub 2020 Apr 23.

Lymphedema Center, Kameda Medical Center, Chiba, Japan.

Background: Vascularized lymph node transfer is the most common physiological procedure indicated for severe lymphedema. We describe a new physiological treatment strategy for lymphedema, lymphatic system transfer (LYST), which comprises transfer of the vascularized afferent lymphatic vessels along with their draining lymph nodes.

Methods: All patients undergoing LYST for treatment of lymphedema from 2017 to 2018 were identified. Read More

Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2020 Apr 24;8(4):e2505. Epub 2020 Apr 24.

Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, N.Y.

Background: The omentum provides abundant lymphatic tissue with reliable vascular anatomy, representing an ideal donor for vascularized lymph node transfer without risk for donor site lymphedema. We describe a novel, robotically assisted approach for omental flap harvest.

Methods: All patients undergoing robotically assisted omentum harvest for vascularized lymph node transfer from 2017 to 2019 were identified. Read More

Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2020 May 18;80(5):526-531. Epub 2020 May 18.

Department for Women's Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.

Scarring and volume reduction of the axillary space resulting in persistent lymphedema is a side effect of axillary treatment in breast cancer patients. The aim of this paper is to describe the reduction of lymphedema achieved with a turnover flap. Between October 2016 and May 2018, five patients with grade 2 lymphedema following breast cancer therapy underwent reconstructive surgery with a turnover flap. Read More

Transplant Proc 2020 May 17. Epub 2020 May 17.

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Objective: Secondary lymphedema of the extremities usually develops well after lymph node dissection or radiation therapy in oncologic surgery. In this report, we present a case of lymphedema developed after liver transplantation and treatment by lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA).

Methods: A 52-year-old man was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma in April 2016, and a liver transplantation was performed in June 2016. Read More

Arch Gynecol Obstet 2020 May 19. Epub 2020 May 19.

Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Leipzig, Liebigstr. 20a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.

Purpose: To investigate patient-reported quality of life (QoL) and associated factors in vulvar cancer patients treated surgically by vulvar field resection (VFR) without adjuvant radiation.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patient-reported QoL as part of the prospective monocentric VFR trial using the 30-item European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality-of-life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) supplemented by a question assessing sexual activity. All patients had been treated by VFR and no participant had received adjuvant radiotherapy. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 May 19;10(1):8297. Epub 2020 May 19.

Research Unit for Plastic Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

When studying illnesses that cause disturbance in volume such as lymphedema, reliable quantification of tissue volume is important. Lymphedema results in swelling and enlargement of extremities and can be both physically and psychologically stressful to the patient. Experiments in rodent models provide a cost-effective research platform and are important for preclinical research on lymphedema. Read More

J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord 2020 May 16. Epub 2020 May 16.

European College of Phlebology (ECoP).

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic has resulted in diversion of healthcare resources to the management of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus. Elective interventions and surgical procedures in most countries have been postponed and operating room resources have been diverted to manage the pandemic. The Venous and Lymphatic Triage and Acuity Scale (VELTAS) was developed to provide an international standard to rationalise and harmonise the management of patients with venous and lymphatic disorders or vascular anomalies. Read More

PLoS One 2020 18;15(5):e0233395. Epub 2020 May 18.

Department of Medical Services, Nursing Unit, Chonburi Cancer Hospital, Ministry of Public Health, Chonburi, Thailand.

Objectives: Tape measurement is a commonly used method in the clinical assessment of lymphedema. However, few studies have assessed the precision and reliability of tape measurement in assessing head and neck lymphedema. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and precision of using tape measurement, performed by different evaluators, for the assessment of head and neck lymphedema. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):603-613

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung.

Background: Vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) is a surgical procedure with high interest to treat lymphedema. Body mass index (BMI) is a well-described factor that increases the risk of lymphedema, but little is known about its influence on the surgical outcomes of lymphedema patients who undergo VLNT. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of preoperative BMI on the long-term surgical outcomes after VLNT in lymphedema patients. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):596-602

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.

Radiation therapy (RT) is a common adjunct therapy in oncology. However, it carries a significant risk of lymphedema when utilized in some anatomic locations. Recent studies have provided insight into lymphedema pathophysiology, diagnostic techniques, and RT. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):589-595

Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) incidence has been increasing overtime. Currently, there is not a preferred imaging tool for diagnosis, staging, and assessment of the disease. We aim to review the use of ultrasound elastography (UE) in BCRL patients. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):582-588

Plastic Surgery Hospital (Institute), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100043, China.

Lymphedema is a chronic, progressive disease caused by primary or secondary reasons. It is currently uncurable and conservative compression therapy is generally applied. Lymphovenous anastomosis and vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) are two main surgical treatment that are used in addition to conservative therapy. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):575-581

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200011, China.

Background: Primary genital lymphedema is caused by congenital lymphatic dysplasia, which is often accompanied by lymphedema of the lower extremities. A lack of effective diagnostics and treatments are available in clinical practice. The purpose of this study is to present the experience of surgical treatment of genital lymphedema and follow-up magnetic resonance lymphangiography (MRL) examinations. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):558-574

Center of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.

Background: Secondary lymphedema is a common condition that affects patients with malignant tumors. Conservative treatments fail to provide lasting relief because they do not address the underlying pathological accumulation of excessive fat. Our aim is to clarify the molecular mechanisms of abnormal adipogenic differentiation in lymphedema adipose tissue. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):545-557

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Mayo Clinic, FL, USA.

Background: A paradigm shift towards the use of combined physiological and excisional surgical approaches for the treatment of lymphedema is permeating the surgical practice worldwide. We describe a single-stage surgical approach combining-vaser assisted liposuction (VAL) and lymphatico-venous anastomoses (LVA) for the treatment of extremity-lymphedema.

Methods: Between March 2018 and March 2019, a retrospective review of patients with extremity-lymphedema stage IIb-III International Society of Lymphology who underwent the combined technique was done. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):539-544

Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema is a long-term condition that affects almost half of breast cancer survivors. Clinical studies have looked at the benefits of lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA) for the treatment of upper extremities lymphedema after breast cancer, however, there is still controversy if it improves lymphedema. This study aimed to analyze the studies and outcomes related to LVA for breast cancer-related lymphedema. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):528-538

Center for Regenerative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Background: Middle and distal insets of gastroepiploic vascularized lymph node transfer (GE-VLNT) for extremity lymphedema have been described. However, there has been no prior comparison of surgical or patient-reported outcomes between these techniques. We analyzed the outcomes between both insets in patients with extremity lymphedema. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):521-527

Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.

The surgical treatment of lymphedema can be conducted alone or in combination with microsurgical autologous breast reconstruction. We performed a systematic review of the literature at PubMed database regarding autologous breast reconstruction for deep inferior epigastric perforators (DIEP) or muscle-sparing transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (ms-TRAM) and vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) in patients with lymphedema following breast cancer surgery. We hypothesized that autologous breast reconstruction combined with VLNT has positive outcomes. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):512-520

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.

Background: The combination of microvascular breast reconstruction (MBR) and vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) in a single-stage procedure is a surgical option for women who desire breast reconstruction and postmastectomy lymphedema surgery. In this study, we present a series of patients who underwent simultaneous lymphatic and MBR with the gastroepiploic VLNT (GE-VLNT) and the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap respectively.

Methods: Between 2018 and 2019, all consecutive patients diagnosed with lymphedema stage IIb-III International Society of Lymphology who opted to pursue simultaneous MBR with DIEP flap and GE-VLNT were included in this study. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):503-511

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.

Lymphedema may be characterized by a progressive clinical course and limitations in improvement despite multi-modality treatment. In westernized countries, it most commonly presents as an undesirable complication of cancer treatment, particularly breast cancer. In the past several decades, surgical treatments for lymphedema have advanced, alongside developments in microsurgery. Read More

Gland Surg 2020 Apr;9(2):501-502

Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.

IDCases 2020 6;20:e00793. Epub 2020 May 6.

Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences & Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.

Previously reported cases of recurrent cellulitis/erysipelas affecting chronically lymphedematous skin regions have been demonstrated to be due to isolates with closely related genetic background which may be suggestive of relapse rather than reinfection. Herein, we report the occurrence of three episodes of repetitive cellulitis caused by strains with different genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, including different antimicrobial susceptibility patterns (tetracycline, macrolide/lincosamide, and fluoroquinolone classes), in the left upper extremity of a patient with lymphedema, following left mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection. The genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of the three isolates were confirmed based on the random amplified polymorphic DNA patterns, DNA profiles of virulence factors (----), data on biofilm formation and cell invasion, antimicrobial susceptibility testing results, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genotypes, and amino acid mutations associated with AMR. Read More

J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord 2020 May 13. Epub 2020 May 13.

Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Objective: Visualization of the lymphatic system is necessary for both early diagnosis and associated treatments. A promising imaging modality is magnetic resonance lymphography (MRL). The aim of this review was to summarize different MRL protocols, to assess the clinical value in patients with peripheral lymphedema, and to define minimal requirements necessary for visualization of lymphatics. Read More

Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2020 May;59(3):420-424

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.

Objective: Lymph node (LN) metastasis is among the important prognostic factors for survival in endometrial cancer (EC). This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of lymphatic complications following lymphadenectomy in patients with EC.

Materials And Methods: EC patients were retrospectively evaluated. Read More

Support Care Cancer 2020 May 15. Epub 2020 May 15.

Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.

Background: The purpose of this systematic review update and meta-analysis was to analyze resistance exercise (RE) intervention trials in breast cancer survivors (BCS) regarding their effect on breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) status and upper and lower extremity strength.

Methods: Systematic literature search was conducted utilizing PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase databases. Any exercise intervention studies-both randomized controlled and uncontrolled-which assessed the effects of RE on BCRL in BCS in at least one intervention group published between 1966 and 31st January 2020 were included. Read More

Radiographics 2020 May 15:190118. Epub 2020 May 15.

From the Departments of Radiology (C.H., K.T., S.L.P.) and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (K.M.P.), Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California, 1500 San Pablo St, Los Angeles, CA 90033.

Lymphedema, the accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the tissues, is a chronic disease and a major cause of long-term morbidity and disability. Lymphedema is usually a secondary condition, often caused by prior oncologic therapy, such as surgery for cancers, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Treatment for lymphedema has traditionally been conservative and limited, but new surgical and microsurgical procedures have arisen in recent years. Read More

Ann Plast Surg 2020 Mar 23. Epub 2020 Mar 23.

Weill Cornell Medicine, Division of Plastic Surgery, New York, NY.

Purpose: Skin necrosis is a known postoperative complication of mastectomies. The pathophysiology of tissue necrosis involves lymphatic congestion, followed by venous congestion and ultimately arterial insufficiency. Recent mouse model studies have shown topical tacrolimus to increase growth of lymphatic collateral vessels and decrease lymphedema, potentially obviating the cycle of necrosis and increasing skin survival. Read More

Cancer Sci 2020 May 15. Epub 2020 May 15.

Division of Vascular Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan, 431-3192.

Secondary lymphedema often develops after cancer surgery, and over 250 million patients suffer from this complication. A major symptom of secondary lymphedema is swelling with fibrosis, which lowers the patient's quality of life, even if cancer does not recur. Nonetheless, the pathophysiology of secondary lymphedema remains unclear, with therapeutic approaches limited to physical or surgical therapy. Read More

Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2020 May 15:e13242. Epub 2020 May 15.

Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Objective: To perform the cross-cultural validation process of the Dutch Norman Questionnaire (NQ), a questionnaire for the detection and characterisation of breast-cancer related lymphoedema (BCRL) using self-reported signs and symptoms.

Methods: Test-retest reliability and construct (including convergent, divergent and known-groups validity), face and content validity were examined in breast cancer patients with (n = 30) and without (n = 30) lymphoedema. For concurrent validity, first, agreement between the diagnostic item of the NQ and a clinical diagnosis were analysed. Read More

J Med Genet 2020 May 14. Epub 2020 May 14.

Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK

Primary lymphatic anomalies may present in a myriad of ways and are highly heterogenous. Careful consideration of the presentation can lead to an accurate clinical and/or molecular diagnosis which will assist with management. The most common presentation is lymphoedema, swelling resulting from failure of the peripheral lymphatic system. Read More

J Surg Res 2020 May 11;253:294-303. Epub 2020 May 11.

Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Trauma Surgery, Orthopaedics and Plastic Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany; Clinic of Plastic and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Background: Lipedema is a common adipose tissue disorder affecting women, characterized by a symmetric subcutaneous adipose tissue deposition, particularly of the lower extremities. Lipedema is usually underdiagnosed, thus remaining an undertreated disease. Importantly, no histopathologic or molecular hallmarks exist to clearly diagnose the disease, which is often misinterpreted as obesity or lymphedema. Read More

Asian J Surg 2020 May 10. Epub 2020 May 10.

Department of Cerebral Surgery, Nantong First People's Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.

Objective: To investigate efficacy of early prevention of complex decongestive therapy and rehabilitation exercise for prevention of postoperative lower limb extremity lymphedema for patients with gynecologic cancer.

Methods: 109 female patients were randomly divided into two groups, the control group who only received routine treatment and the CDT group who received both CDT and rehabilitation exercise. For rehabilitation exercise, patients received additional rehabilitation exercise strategy including professional education and full range exercise of hip joint. Read More

N Engl J Med 2020 05;382(20):1956-1957

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH.

Cancers (Basel) 2020 May 8;12(5). Epub 2020 May 8.

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.

Background: Anatomic variations in lymphatic drainage pathways of the upper arm may have an important role in the pathophysiology of lymphedema development. The Mascagni-Sappey (M-S) pathway, initially described in 1787 by Mascagni and then again in 1874 by Sappey, is a lymphatic drainage pathway of the upper arm that normally bypasses the axilla. Utilizing modern lymphatic imaging modalities, there is an opportunity to better visualize this pathway and its potential clinical implications. Read More

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020 May 12. Epub 2020 May 12.

Department. of Dermatology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain.

In patients with tuberous sclerosis we can today distinguish between two different categories of segmental mosaicism. The well-known simple segmental mosaicism is characterized by a unilateral or otherwise localized arrangement of the ordinary lesions of the disorder, reflecting heterozygosity for an early postzygotic new mutation. By contrast, superimposed mosaicism is defined by a pronounced segmental involvement in a patient with ordinary nonsegmental lesions of the same disorder, resulting in a heterozygous embryo from loss of the corresponding wild-type allele that occurred at a very early developmental stage. Read More

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2020 17;2020:6298293. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 4668550, Japan.

Background: Lower-limb lymphedema (LLL) is a chronic and progressive complication of gynecologic cancer treatment, including pelvic lymphadenectomy. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effect of goreisan, a traditional Japanese medicine, which has been used for hydrostatic modulation on patients with LLL.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with LLL in our hospital in 2018 were included and principally treated with complex decongestive therapy (CDT), including elastic clothing and lymph drainage. Read More

Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 2020 Feb;47(2):343-345

Dept. of Breast Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.

A 46-year-old woman visited our hospital with the chief complaint of left axillary mass enlargement, which she had been aware of for 8 years. Palpation revealed that the mass was 15mm in size. Redness and gathering of the skin were also observed. Read More

Phys Ther 2020 May 7. Epub 2020 May 7.

College of Medical Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Ft Lauderdale, Florida.

Objective: Following breast cancer surgery with lymph node removal, women are at risk of developing lymphedema in the upper extremity or trunk. Currently, trunk lymphedema diagnosis relies on a clinical assessment because no quantifiable standard method exists. Tissue dielectric constant (TDC) values are quantifiable measures of localized skin tissue water and may be able to detect trunk lymphedema. Read More

J Spinal Cord Med 2020 May 7:1-4. Epub 2020 May 7.

Department of Radiology, Canakkale State Hospital, Canakkale, Turkey.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a well-known complication of spinal cord injury (SCI). Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) may be used in SCI patients who develop DVT, but can lead to subcutaneous bleeding. If subcutaneous bleeding occurs, then lymphedema, cellulitis, muscle or tendon tearing, or baker's cyst rupture should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Read More

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020 May 7. Epub 2020 May 7.

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (cAS) is a rare malignant aggressive vascular tumor and includes three variants: cAS affecting the head and neck (Wilson-Jones type), post-radiation cAS, and cAS associated with chronic lymphoedema (Stewart-Treves syndrome). The diagnosis is often delayed, because cAS is frequently clinically misdiagnosed as hematoma, rosacea, cellulitis or eczema. The diagnosis of cAS may be difficult also for the pathologists and the tumor may be misdiagnosed as a benign vascular lesion. Read More

Magn Reson Med 2020 May 7. Epub 2020 May 7.

Medical Radiation Physics, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.

Purpose: To compare MR-based fatty acid composition (FAC) quantification methods against the gold standard technique, gas chromatography (GC), with comparison of a free and a constrained signal model. The FAC was measured in the healthy and edematous legs of lymphedema patients.

Methods: In vivo MRS and MRI data were acquired from 19 patients at 3 T. Read More

Breast Cancer Res Treat 2020 Jun 6;181(3):635-644. Epub 2020 May 6.

Department of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Purpose: Breast lymphoedema is a largely unrecognised survivorship issue for women following breast cancer treatment. While a few objective methods have previously been applied to assess breast lymphoedema, none are capable of imaging breast lymphatics or identifying lymphatic morphological changes indicative of breast lymphoedema. The purpose of this study was to determine if indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography, a validated assessment technique in breast cancer-related lymphoedema), can visualise breast lymphatics and identify breast lymphoedema. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2020 May 4;21(9). Epub 2020 May 4.

INSERM-UPS UMR U1048, Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, Université de Toulouse, BP 84225, 31 432 Toulouse cedex 04, France.

The lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases in pre-menopausal women compared to men is well-known documented. This protection has been largely attributed to the protective effect of estrogens, which exert many beneficial effects against arterial diseases, including vasodilatation, acceleration of healing in response to arterial injury, arterial collateral growth and atheroprotection. More recently, with the visualization of the lymphatic vessels, the impact of estrogens on lymphedema and lymphatic diseases started to be elucidated. Read More

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020 Apr;24(8):4476-4485

Department of Health Sciences, Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, "A. Avogadro", Novara, Italy.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to assess the reproducibility and reliability of a three-dimensional laser scanner (3DLS) in measuring the upper limb volume of BRCL women undergoing a 2-week complete decongestive therapy (CDT).

Patients And Methods: 3DLS and CM were used to measure the upper limb volume in a cohort of BCRL women before (T0) and after (T1) a 2-week CDT. We evaluated: a) correlation between 3DLS and CM at both time points; b) level of agreement and the consistency of the different measurements at both time points; c) correlation between the inter-rater operator analysis in terms of total limb volume differences before and after rehabilitative treatment of both circumferential method and laser scanning 3D in breast cancer related lymphedema patients. Read More

J Physiol 2020 May 5. Epub 2020 May 5.

Departments of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110.

Key Points: Spontaneous contractions are essential for normal lymph transport and these contractions are exquisitely sensitive to the K channel activator, pinacidil. K channel Kir6.1 and SUR2B subunits are expressed in mouse lymphatic smooth muscle (LSM) and form functional K channels as verified by electrophysiological techniques. Read More