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MR lymphangiography at 3.0 tesla to assess the function of inguinal lymph node in low extremity lymphedema
Author(s) -
Zhou Guoxing,
Chen Xiao,
Zhang Jianhua,
Zhu Jingqi,
Wang Yibin,
Wang Zhongqiu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.24499
Subject(s) - lymphedema , medicine , lymphatic system , lymph node , lymph , inguinal lymph nodes , radiology , magnetic resonance imaging , secondary lymphedema , dynamic contrast , nuclear medicine , pathology , cancer , breast cancer
Purpose To assess the function of inguinal lymph node (ILN) in low extremity lymphedema (LEL) with dynamic enhanced MR lymphangiography (MRL). Materials and Methods Sixty‐four patients with clinically diagnosed LEL underwent MRL examinations. The lymph drainage patterns were separated into four subtypes. The peak time to enhancement and the contrast ratio of the ILN were calculated 35 min following contrast agent administration. Results Dilated lymphatic vessels could be observed in all subjects. Type I–IV drainage patterns were observed 25% (16/64), 45.31% (29/64), 17.19% (11/64), and 12.5% (8/64), respectively. The ILN in the edematous limbs could be observed in 93.75% (60/64) of subjects. The peak time to enhancement was correlated with clinical stages ( P < 0.001) of the disease, lymph drainage patterns ( P < 0.001), and the duration of lymphedema ( P < 0.001). The contrast ratios were significantly different at each time point ( P < 0.001) and significantly correlated with the lymphatic drainage patterns ( P < 0.001). Conclusion MRL could provide useful information for evaluating the functional status of the ILN. Data presented here demonstrate that the functionality of the ILN is related to the clinical stage of the disease, lymphatic drainage patterns, and the duration of lymphedema. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;40:1430–1436 . © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc .