Demographic examination of lymphedema seen in the lower extremities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-2902.isj20212265Keywords:
Lymphedema, Venous insufficiency, Blood typesAbstract
Background: We aimed to indicate the frequency of this disease according to blood groups, other disease types, age, weight and other demographic characteristics.
Methods: We examined total of 236 patients who applied to our clinic because of lower extremity edema within 5 years. All patients had a diagnosis of lymphedema. Patients with a diagnosis of congenital lymphedema or a diagnosis secondary to cancer were excluded. Obesity, presence of venous disease, diabetes mellitus and hypertension which are considered as causes of secondary lymphedema were included in the study. Also the relationship between lymphedema patients and blood groups were evaluated.
Results: 81% (n:193) of patients were women. The mean age of the patients was 50.71 (±10.28). All patients had diagnosis of lymphedema. Most of patients (n:189) had bilateral lower extremity edema. Body mass index was above 25 in 149 (63.1%) patients. Deep venous insufficiency accompanied in 75 (31.8%) patients. Perforator vein incompetance was observed with lymphedema in 96 (40.7%) patients. The number of diabetic and hypertensive patients was 64 (27.1%) and 67 (28.4%), respectively. Patients with B type blood group constituted the largest patient profile with a rate of 41.9% (n:99).
Conclusions: In our study, demographic characteristics were not statistically corolated to lymphedema development, however, the rate of lymphedema in patients with perforating vein insufficiency was statistically significant (p<0.05, P=0.002). The most important point to be considered here is whether lymphedema plays a role in the development of additional pathology or do additional pathologies trigger the development of lymphedema?
References
Moffatt CJ, Franks PJ, Doherty DC, Williams AF, Badger C, Jeffs E et al. Lymphedema: An underestimated health problem. Q J Med. 2003;96:731-8.
Mortimer PS. ABC of arterial and venous disease: Swollen lower limb—2: Lymphedema. Br Med J. 2000;320:1527-9.
Keast DH, Moffatt C, Janmohammad A. Lymphedema Impact and Prevalence International Study: The Canadian Data. Lymphatic Research and Biology. 2019;17(2):178-86.
Stolldorf DP, Dietrich MS, Ridner SH. Symptom Frequency, Intensity, and Distress in Patients with Lower Limb Lymphedema. Lymphatic Research and Biology. 2016;14(2):78-87.
Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F, Foreman D, Mathers C, Parkin DM. Estimates of worldwide burden of cancer in 2008: GLOBOCAN 2008. Int J Cancer. 2010;127:2893-917.
Trayes KP, Studdiford JS, Pickle S, Tully AS. Edema: diagnosis and management. Am Fam Physician. 2013;88(2):102-10.
Eberhardt RT, Raffetto JD. Chronic Venous Insufficiency. Circulation. 2014;130(4):333-46.
Kumar H, Santhanam S. Blood groups and filariasis. Folia Parasitol (Praha). 1989;36(2):163-7.
Srividya A, Pani SP. Filariasis and blood groups. Natl Med J India. 1993;6(5):207-9.
Grabb and Smith's Plastic Surgery. Thorne CH, editor. Lymphedema: Diagnosis and treatment. Wolters Kluwer Health. (7th edition) 2013; Chapter 97:980-988.
Helgenberger K, Wagner S, Lehmann S, Aeschlimann A, Amann-Vesti B, Angst F. Health and quality of life in patients with primary and secondary lymphedema of the lower extremity. Vasa. 2015;44(2):129-37.
Greene AK, Grant FD, Slavin SA. Lower-extremity lymphedema and elevated body-mass index. N Engl J Med. 2012;366:2136-7.
Greene AK, Grant F, Slavin SA, Maclellan RA. Obesity-induced lymphedema: Clinical and lymphoscintigraphic features. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015;135:1715-9.
Yilmaz S, Calikoglu EO, Kosan Z. Prevalence of obesity among adolescents in Eastern Turkey: A cross-sectional study with a review of the local literature. Niger J Clin Pract. 2019;22(8):1070-7.
Sherling DH, Perumareddi P, Hennekens CH. Metabolic Syndrome. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther. 2017;22(4):365-7.
Kayiran SM, Oktem O, Kayiran PG, Paloglu E, Gurakan B. Frequency of ABO and rhesus blood groups among neonates born at a private hospital in Istanbul. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2012;43(2):467-70.
