title: Longitudinal monitoring of the head and neck lymphatics in response to surgery and radiation.
abstract: The lymphatic vasculature provides a route for cancer metastases, and its dysfunction after cancer treatment can result in lymphedema. However, changes in the lymphatics before, during, and after surgery and radiation remain unclear.
  
  
  
  Near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging was performed before and after lymph node dissection and fractionated radiotherapy to assess changes in external lymphatic function.
  
  
  
  Patients who underwent both lymph node dissection and radiotherapy developed lymphatic dermal backflow on treated sides ranging from days after the start of radiotherapy to weeks after its completion, whereas contralateral regions that were not associated with lymph node dissection but also treated with radiotherapy experienced no such changes in external lymphatic anatomies.
  
  
  
  The external lymphatics undergo transient changes during and weeks after lymph node dissection and radiotherapy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1177-1188, 2017.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: John C
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0557-6899
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: I-Chih
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Syed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naqvi
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Melissa B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Aldrich
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Erik A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Maus
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Angel I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Ron J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Karni
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sevick-Muraca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D061305:Lymphoscintigraphy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
keywords: head and neck cancer; lymphatics; lymphedema; near-infrared fluorescence imaging; radiation