Progression of fluid infiltration on non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging in breast cancer-related lymphedema: A comparative analysis with indocyanine green lymphography.

BACKGROUND

Non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) has been reported as valuable for the assessment of lymphedema. However, the correlation between NMRI findings and indocyanine green lymphography (ICG-L) findings remains elusive.

METHODS

This single-center retrospective study included 26 patients diagnosed with breast cancer-related lymphedema. We examined the prevalence of fluid infiltration in eight regions of the upper extremity, the type of fluid distribution, and the dominant segment of edema on NMRI in comparison to the ICG-L stage. Statistical analysis was performed using the Cochran-Armitage trend test, Spearman's rank correlation test, and Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

The regional fluid infiltration significantly increased with the progression of the ICG-L stage (hand, forearm, elbow, and upper arm: p = 0.003, <0.001, <0.001, and <0.001, respectively). The fluid distribution significantly advanced with the progression of the ICG-L stage as follows (r

CONCLUSIONS

Fluid infiltration observed on NMRI exhibited distinct patterns with the progression of the ICG-L stage. We believe that anatomical information regarding fluid distribution would potentially contribute to optimizing surgical efficacy.

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2024 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of Competing Interest None declared.