Physiological characteristics of the body fluid in lymphedematous patients postbreast cancer surgery, focusing on the intracellular/extracellular fluid ratio of the upper limb.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this research was to determine the physiological characteristics of patients with lymphedema following breast cancer surgery, based on differences between the quantity of body water in the right and left fingertips, with a view to establishing whether or not this simple measurement could serve as a predictive index for the onset of lymphedema.


METHODS
The research was conducted at a hospital in Hiroshima, Japan (August 2004 to December 2004). Observations were made on 39 female breast cancer patients who had undergone surgery and 45 healthy female participants. Additional information was collected via interviews with the individual participants. The quantity of body water in all the participants was measured by using a bioimpedance spectrum analysis system. Comparisons of the intracellular/extracellular fluid ratios (I/Es) were made between the edema patients and the non-edema patients, with further testing being done between the affected and unaffected sides of the upper limb in the edema patients.


RESULTS
In the edema patients, significant differences were recognized between the affected side's upper limb I/E and the unaffected side's upper limb I/E. In relation to the affected side's upper limb I/E of the edema patients, even when the mean value and standard deviation were included, the value did not exceed 1.0 and the mean - 3 SD value of the affected side's upper limb I/E in the non-edema patients was 1.04.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that measurements of the affected and unaffected sides' upper limb I/E showed a potential for use as a reliable predictive index for lymphedema.
Sakuda
Hiromi
H
Department of Human Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Syogoin Kawahara-cho,Kyoto, Japan. sakuda@hs.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Satoh
Miyuki
M
Sakaguchi
Momoko
M
Miyakoshi
Yukiko
Y
Kataoka
Tsuyoshi
T
D001132:Arm; D001826:Body Fluids; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D045604:Extracellular Fluid; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*