title: Investigation of the swollen limb with isotope lymphography.
abstract: The usefulness of isotope lymphography was evaluated in patients with chronic lower leg swelling. Forty patients (15 male, 25 female, age range 5 months-67 years) were assigned one of six clinical diagnoses based on clinical assessments, venography and lymphography. All the patients and seven normal controls were examined with bilateral isotope lymphography involving subcutaneous injection of 0.15 ml 99mTc-antimony sulphide colloid into the first web space of each foot. The percentage uptake of isotope-colloid in the inguinal lymph nodes at 1 and 2 h was equated with lymphatic function. Highly significant (P = 0.0001) differences existed between the different clinical groups and isotope lymphography discriminated well between oedema of lymphatic and non-lymphatic origin. Isotope lymphography appears to be a safe and useful test of lymphatic function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, St George's Hospital, London, U.K.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Proby
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Gane
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mortimer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000965:Antimony; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003102:Colloids; D004487:Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006119:Groin; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007866:Leg / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008220:Lymphography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013667:Technetium; D017556:Technetium Compounds; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014680:Veins
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D017556:Technetium Compounds; C019096:technetium Tc 99m antimony sulfide; D013667:Technetium; D000965:Antimony