Measurement of Lymphatic Flow Variation by Noninvasive Method Cases of Lymphedema

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure the variations of lymphatic flow. A noninvasive isotopic method was used to achieve a functional exploration of lymphatic circulation.

Fifteen subjects were used in the study: 10 healthy subjects and 5 patients with lower extremity lymphedema.

A first subcutaneous injection of technetium 99m rhenium sulfate (^99mTc) was performed in the first interdigital space of both feet. The radioactivity was re corded in two places: the first one on the inguinal site by a gamma camera; the second, below the first, on the precordial site by a multichannel analyzer. With the two types of recording procedures, it was possible to obtain a curve that showed the amount of radioactivity in relation to time. In order to obtain a muscular activity fifty-five minutes after the injection, each subject or patient spent ten minutes on an ergometric bike.

A second subcutaneous injection was performed one week later, but prior to the injection, the subject or patient took orally 1800 mg of heptaminol adeno sine phosphate (HAP) per day for three days. The radioactivity recording was made under the same conditions as with the muscular activity.

The statistical results of the experiment without treatment on the two types of recording show that in the healthy subjects the amount of radioactivity in creased during muscular activity. Moreover, the treatment indicated higher ra dioactivity values, which remained at a higher level. However, the muscular activity performed by a patient was unable to increase the radioactivity.

On the other hand, the drug gave radioactivity values that were higher than the previous values of the first curve. Then, because of the increase of the pre cordial recording in all cases, it is possible to say that the lymphatic flow rose; the drug was able in each case to obtain an increase in the lymphatic flow.

This method permits recognition of an increase in the lymphatic flow; more over, it shows that muscular activity improved the flow only in healthy subjects, whereas HAP in all cases constantly gave a higher flow.