title: Lymphedema treated by microwave and elastic dressing.
abstract: For lymphedema, surgical treatment is contraindicated and other conservative treatments including oral medicine are not sufficient. Treatment with microwave and elastic dressing has been evaluated in 30 cases of lymphedema with 11 control patients who received only one of the two treatments. Twenty-four patients were effectively treated. In six, edema was not decreased as compared with reduction due to daily physical activity. It was observed that the earlier the patient was treated after onset of edema, the better the results. Six of 10 control patients who received only elastic dressing showed slight decrease in edema. A patient who received only microwave did not show any improvement. There was no recurrence in half of the treated patients. Treatment of lymphedema by microwave and elastic dressing appears satisfactory, particularly when given at an early stage of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohkuma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001458:Bandages; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome