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Case Reports
. 2013 Nov 7;1(7):e59.
doi: 10.1097/GOX.0b013e3182a96359. eCollection 2013 Oct.

Obesity-induced Upper Extremity Lymphedema

Arin K Greene  1 , Reid A Maclellan  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Obesity-induced Upper Extremity Lymphedema

Arin K Greene et al. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. .

Abstract

Obesity increases the risk of upper extremity lymphedema following treatment for breast cancer and can cause lower extremity lymphatic dysfunction in extremely obese individuals. We report the first patient with obesity-induced upper extremity lymphedema. A 62-year-old man with a previous body mass index (BMI) of 105.6, presented with a BMI 60.3 following weight loss. He complained of lymphedema of all 4 extremities, which was confirmed by lymphoscintigraphy. Because the upper limbs are more resistant to lymphedema than the lower extremities, a higher BMI threshold may be necessary to cause upper extremity lymphatic dysfunction.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article. The Article Processing Charge was paid for by the authors.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
A 62-year-old man with a maximum BMI history of 105.6, presented with a BMI of 60.3 after dieting. He complained of swelling of all 4 limbs (A and D). Extremity lymphoscintigraphy showed absence of tracer in the axillary (B) and inguinal nodes (E) 45 min following radiolabelled colloid injection into the hands and feet (normal transit time to the axillary and inguinal nodes is <45 min).– Minimal, delayed tracer accumulation into the axillary (C) and inguinal nodes (F) occurred 2 h after injection. These findings indicated lymphatic dysfunction of all 4 extremities consistent with lymphedema.– Arrows indicate nodal uptake of radiolabelled tracer.
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