Upper Extremity Lymphedema After Axillary Lymph Node Dissection: Prospective Lymphoscintigraphic Evaluation.

This prospective study was designed to evaluate changes in upper extremity lymphatic drainage after ALND in comparison to the preoperative status using lymphoscintigraphy. The study enrolled 44 women (mean age: 57.95; range: 35-80) with a new diagnosis of unilateral invasive breast carcinoma who had been scheduled to undergo ALND. This was a substudy of the physiotherapeutic project, in which subjects after ALND were randomized into 4 groups treated with: 1) rehabilitation exercises; 2) manual lymphatic drainage; 3) pneumatic compression pump; and 4) education only. Clinical evaluation which included arm measurements and lymphoscintigraphy was performed in every subject before surgery and 3 times after surgery (1-6 weeks, 1 and 2 years after ALND). Follow-up was completed in 44 subjects at 1 year and in 32 subjects at 2 years. Lymphedema diagnosis was made in 4 subjects 1 year after ALND (9%) and in 8 subjects 2 years after ALND (25%). Among them, respectively, only 50% and 62% noticed and reported lymphedema. Quantitative analysis of lymphoscintigrams and photoplethysmography results did not reveal upper extremities lymphatic transport and/or venous function impairment after the ALND procedure. Qualitative analysis of lymphoscintigrams revealed most commonly disappearance of previously functional lymph nodes and appearance of dermal backflow in subjects who developed lymphedema. Conversely, appearance of functional lymph nodes in different locations after ALND may indicate protection from development of upper extremity lymphedema.

Axillary lymph nodes and arm lymphatic drainage pathways are spared during routine complete axillary clearance in majority of women undergoing breast cancer surgery.

Alterations in axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) after complete axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in comparison to the preoperative status were evaluated using lymphoscintigraphy performed preoperatively and 1-6 weeks after surgery in 30 women with a new diagnosis of unilateral, invasive breast carcinoma. Analysis of lymphoscintigrams revealed that ALNs after surgery were present in 26 of 30 examined women. In comparison to preoperative status, they were visualized in the same location (12 women), in the same and additionally in different locations (9 women), or only in different locations (4 women). No lymph nodes were visualized in one woman and lymphocoele were in 4 women. Thus, after ALND, a variable number of axillary lymph nodes remain and were visualized on lymphoscintigraphy in the majority of women. The classical ALND, therefore, does not allow complete dissection and removal of axillary nodes with total disruption of axillary lymphatic pathways, accounting in part for the variable incidence and severity of lymphedema after the procedure.