title: [Treatment of chronic extremity lymphedema with manual lymph drainage].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of manual lymph drainage on chronic extremity lymphedema.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with chronic lymphedema of extremity were treated with manual lymph drainage (MLD) complex decongestion therapy. Among them, 29 had primary lymphedema, 21 had secondary lymphedema. 42 had lymphedema of lower extremity and 8 had lymphedema of upper limb. The result of treatment was evaluated with measurement of circumference of extremities and edema fluid in tissue with Multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 1-2 treatment courses, all 50 patients showed significant decrease of circumference of lymphomatous limbs (P < 0.05) and remarkable reduction of accumulated edema fluid in tissue (P < 0. 05). There was highly correlation between the decrease of limb circumference and edema fluid in tissue (r(s) = 0.774, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MLD complex decongestion therapy is effective for the treatment of chronic lymphedema of extremity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Lymphology Center, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200011, China.
authors.forename: Ning-Fei
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jia-Lia
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiu-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhi-Xin
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Zhao-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult