Lymphoedema

 

Welcome to PT 635 Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems This is a wiki created by and for the students in the School of Physical Therapy at Bellarmine University in Louisville KY. Please do not edit unless you are involved in this project, but please come back in the near future to check out new information!!

Original Editors - Emily Clark from Bellarmine University's Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems project.

Lead Editors - Your name will be added here if you are a lead editor on this page.  Read more.

Definition/Description

Lymphatic obstruction is a blockage of a lymph vessel that drains fluid and
immune cells from tissue throughout the body.¹ An obstruction could cause an
impaired contraction of the collecting lymphatics, causing lymphedema which is a
build up of lymph fluid in the soft tissue.²

Lymphedema has been classified into grades of severity by the International Society of Lymphology:

• Stage 0 (Latent lymphedema)- Lymph transport capacity is reduced, no clinical edema is present.

• Stage1 - Reversible pitting edema with elevation; Increasing edema with increase in activity, heat, and humidity.
• Stage 2 - Accumulation of protein-rich nonpitting edema with connective scar tissue. Irreversible ; does not resolve overnight; increasingly more difficult to pit.Clinical fibrosis is present.Skin changes present in severe stage 2.
• Stage 3(Lymphostatic Elephantiasis)-Accumulation of protein-rich edema with significant increase in connective and in scar tissue. Severe non-pitting fibrosis edema.Strophic changes (hardening of dermal tissue, skin folds, skin papillomas, and hyperkeratosis)^2,3,5

Lymphedema can be divided into 2 categories primary/ idiopathic and secondary/ acquired. The primary cause of lymphedema happens due to a malformation of the lymph vessels. Secondary lymphedema is damage that has been done to normal healthy lymph vessels.²

Prevalence

The incidence of lymphedema is unknown because it goes unreported. When looking at the primary cause 15% of lymphedema cases are reported at birth, 75% during adolescence with a ratio of 4:1 females to males, 10-20% after the age of 35, with 2 % in other syndromes. Secondary causes are just an approximation of the incidences of filariasis, an infection caused by mosquitoes, because it spans across the globe. There was an estimate of 420 million people were exposed to filariasis in Africa in the year 2000 and the WHO estimated 700,000 incidences in the Americas. There are around 3 million cases in the US with 30% of those are cases secondary to breast cancer.² One study looked at 300 patients with breast cancer a year later the prevalence of clinically significant lymphedema was 33.5 % and 17.2 % had severe lymphedema. The prevalence of lymphedema was 13.4 % in patients treated with surgery only where as the prevalence was 42.4% in patients treated with surgery and radiotherapy. Post treatment lymphedema continues to be a significant problem following breast cancer therapy. Presence of co-morbid conditions and axillary radiation significantly increases the risk of lymphedema. A combination of axillary dissection and axillary radiation should be avoided whenever feasible to avoid lymphedema.⁷

Characteristics/Clinical Presentation

Signs and Symptoms present:
• Swelling in an arm or a leg. It may be the entire limb or only parts . Most likely unilateral, but can be bilateral.
• Heaviness or tightness in involved limb
• Loss of ROM
• Achiness
• Reoccurring infections in the involved limb
• Hardening, thickening, or tightness of the skin^4,2
• Burning feeling in the legs
• Loss of hair
• Loss of sleep⁶
• Can be fibrosis, pitting edema
• Symptoms can increase during warm weather, menstruation, and if the limb has been left in its depended position.⁵

Associated Co-morbidities

Risk factors for lymphedema include:
• Removal or radiation ofthe lymph nodes
• Tumors blocking the flow of lymph fluids
• Overweight or obesity⁶
• Diabetes

Medications

• There is not a specific lymphedema drug available. Different drugs such as benzopyrones ( Coumarin, Venalot, Daflon, natural ingredients such as rutin, horse chestnut, and rapeseed extract) can affect an increase in proteolysis, which can act to decrease protein concentration and decrease lymphedema. There is a chance fro drug toxicity with these drugs. Diuretics that are used for sodium retention edema, are also being prescribed, even though they don’t affect lymphedema. Diuretics can cause an increase risk for electrolyte imbalance. Medications that could cause edema in the legs include NSAIDs, Norvasc for hypertension, Avandia for diabetes, and Lyrica for diabetic neuropathy and shingles. Some chemotherapy medicines may cause a disturbance in behavior that could cause a lack of compliance with treatment.²

Diagnostic Test

A thorough history must be taken. Palpation of the lymph nodes must be done to see if they are swollen or there are any abnormal changes. Measurements for the swelling limbs should also be taken.6In diagnosing the diagnostic tool used is the isotope lymphograph also called lymphoscintigraphy or lymphangioscintigraphy(LAS) is used to determine abnormal lymph nodes and lymphatics. Other imaging tools are MRI, MR Lymphography techniques, computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography(US), and DEXA,etc.3Progress can be measured by limb circumference and water displacement.5

^^Etiology/Causes

Causes of Lymphedema
Primary Cause
• Unknown
• Hereditary
• Developmental abnormalities:
• -Aplasia
• -Hypoplasia (75% of cases)
• -Hyperplasia(15% of cases)

Secondary Cause
• Filariasis (mosquito bite- parasitic infection)
• Primary or Metastatic Neoplasm (benign or malignant)
• Surgery (lymph node dissection or removal)
• Radiation treatment
• Chemotherapy
• Severe infection
• Other surgeries( multiple abdominal or pelvic surgeries
• Lipedema
• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Liposuction
• Crush injury
• Compound fracture
• Severe Laceration
• Degloving skin injury
• Burns
• Obesity
• Multiparity
• Paralysis
• Prolonged systemic cortisone (cortisone skin)
• HIV/AIDS²

The most common cause for secondary lymphedema worldwide is filariasis a parasitic infection caused by mosquitoes.² The most common reason for lymphatic obstruction is the removal or enlargement of the lymph nodes in the US.¹

Systemic Involvement

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Medical Management (current best evidence)

• Primary lymphedema can be treated with sclerotherapy to seal a leaky lymph vessels and prevent reflux into the abdomen.

Radiation therapy and surgical dissections²

• Liposuction
• Removal of abnormal lymph vessels¹
• Microsurgeries performed on lymph vessels to amastomose to a vein or another functional lymph vessel. It has an increased mortality and morbidity rate and are unsuccessful. ²

Physical Therapy Management (current best evidence)

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Alternative/Holistic Management (current best evidence)

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Differential Diagnosis

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Case Reports/ Case Studies

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Resources

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Recent Related Research (from Pubmed)

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References

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