title: Manual lymphatic drainage and multilayer compression therapy for vulvar edema: a case series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vulvar edema is a condition rarely reported and without defined treatment that may result in functional limitation. The aim of the report is to describe a case series of patients with disabling vulvar edema of different etiologies that were treated with manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) and multilayer compression therapy (MCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Four cases of vulvar edema are described: one in a woman with cervical cancer; one in a woman in the postoperative period of bilateral adrenalectomy for pheocromocytoma; and two in pregnant women with preeclampsia. All cases were treated with MLD and MCT during hospitalization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total resolution of the edema occurred in 2 to 5 d of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present case series is the first to report the use of the MLD and MCT in the successful management of female genital edema. This report suggests that the vulvar edemas for these four patients treated with MLD and MCT seem to resolve faster than expected based on previously reported untreated edemas or edemas treated with different therapeutic approaches.
authors.affiliation: a Center for Assistance to Women's Health, University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , SP , Brazil .
authors.forename: Marcela Ponzio
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Pinto e Silva
authors.affiliation: a Center for Assistance to Women's Health, University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , SP , Brazil .
authors.forename: Mariana Almada
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bassani
authors.affiliation: a Center for Assistance to Women's Health, University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , SP , Brazil .
authors.forename: Maria Amelia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Miquelutti
authors.affiliation: a Center for Assistance to Women's Health, University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , SP , Brazil .
authors.forename: Andrea de Andrade
authors.initials: Ade A
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: b Course of Physiotherapy, Management and Health Care Department, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) , Santos-SP , Brazil , and.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa Pace
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: do Amaral
authors.affiliation: a Center for Assistance to Women's Health, University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , SP , Brazil .
authors.forename: Mariana Maia Freire
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: c Department of Physiotherapy , Health Science Center, Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES) , Vitória , ES , Brazil.
authors.forename: Néville de Oliveira
authors.initials: Nde O
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D058128:Compression Bandages; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D004487:Edema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008405:Massage; D011247:Pregnancy; D011312:Pressure; D012074:Remission Induction; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Compression therapy; manual lymphatic drainage; vulvar edema