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Lymphangiomatosis is diagnosed by lymphography in two patients. One case presented with life threatening pleural effusion and was found to have skin haemangiomata, underlying lymphangiomatosis and massive osteolysis of the pelvic bones in the same topographic distribution. The aetiology of this condition is discussed and the role of lymphography emphasized.
Experience with 193 children 15 years of age or less who were referred for pedal lymphography over the past 11 1/2 years was reviewed. Successful bilateral lymphatic cannulation was obtained in 94% of cases; in only 2% was the study a bilateral failure. No significant complications or permanent sequelae were encountered. Lymphographic-histologic correlation in 94 children yielded an overall accuracy rate of 95% (specificity, 99%; sensitivity, 80%). Interpretative aspects were similar to that in adults; however, the frequent presence of reactive hyperplasia in childhood was noted. These results suggest that lymphography can be successfully and safely performed in children and that its diagnostic accuracy is at least as high as in adults.
From 1973 through 1978, 365 patients with ovarian carcinoma were evaluated with lymphography. The extent of disease was assessed by clinical and conventional radiologic examinations, peritoneoscopy with visualization of diaphragmatic leaves, peritoneal cytology, and, in some patients, exploratory laparotomy. The highest incidence of metastases was found in advanced stages (31.1% in stage III and 60% in stage IV) and in recurrences (75.9%). In 87 patients with early disease, the incidence was 9.2%. In 36 pretreated patients with no evidence of disease, this incidence was 11.1%. Biopsies of the nodes were performed in 96 patients: radiologic accuracy was confirmed in 33 of 33 positive and in 55 of 63 negative cases. Of the patients, 33% had metastases only in the pelvic nodes, and 7.9% only in the paraaortic nodes; in 79.1%, both chains were involved simultaneously. These data confirm the importance of lymphography in diagnosis, treatment planning, and surveillance of ovarian carcinoma.
One hundred twenty-one patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated Hodgkin disease underwent abdominal and pelvic computed tomographic (CT) scanning and bipedal lymphography. These studies were followed by staging laparotomy, which included biopsy of the liver, retroperitoneal and mesenteric lymph nodes, and splenectomy. Correlation of the results of the imaging studies with the histopathologic diagnoses revealed a small--but significant--increased accuracy of lymphography compared with CT in assessing the retroperitoneal lymph nodes. The theoretical advantages of CT scanning in detecting lymphomatous deposits in lymph nodes about the celiac axis and the mesentery, or in the liver and spleen, were not confirmed. In part this was due to the relative incidence and the small size of individual lesions at these sites in patients with Hodgkin disease at the time of initial diagnosis and staging.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the current value of lymphography in a series of previously untreated patients with Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma seen at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center over a 1-year period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 1989 through August 1990, 313 previously untreated patients with lymphoma were seen at our institution. In 221 of these, lymphography and CT were performed for abdominal staging. These studies were reviewed to determine if the examinations were complementary, or if the results of one or the other changed the staging in a significant number of patients. Staging was based on clinical findings, as laparotomies are rarely performed at this time. RESULTS: Lymphograms were abnormal and CT scans were normal in two patients with Hodgkin's disease and in two with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Biopsy proof of nodal disease was not available for any of these, but the nodes did not change after therapy in three patients. The other patient was seropositive for HIV, and HIV disease itself can cause nodal abnormalities. In one patient with Hodgkin's disease and 12 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, lymphograms were normal and CT scans were abnormal, showing enlarged nodes and/or abnormal architecture. CT scans obtained after therapy showed regression of nodal and extranodal masses. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that lymphographic findings did not significantly contribute to staging in these patients. This departure from previous experience may be due to improved state-of-the-art CT. In addition, the use of a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy to treat the lymphomas has increased, diminishing the need for detection of subtle nodal changes.
The value of CT and lymphography of the retroperitoneum was compared in 31 patients with testicular tumors. In no patient with normal or equivocal lymphography was more information gained by CT. In abnormal cases, the presence of metastatic deposits was well detected at both examinations, but CT proved more useful in defining the exact extent of the tumor and facilitated the proper arrangement of the irradiation fields. A strategy in the sequence of investigation in testicular tumors is suggested, aiming to save CT time when CT information is not likely to be of significance for treatment planning.
A total of 124 normal nodes in 20 patients with Hodgkin's disease were measured in lymphograms by means of planimetry with point counting. Anteroposterior views were used both in the lymphography (24h) and at subsequent check-up studies. A statistically significant reduction (p is less than 0.05) of 3.5 per cent in the area of the lymph nodes was observed in the period after lymphography (range, 4-189 days; average, 26.8 days) during which no irradiation or chemotherapy had been given. Correction for technical factors and an evaluation of errors of measurement were made.
A gas pressure injector for easy lymphography is described; skilled personnel are not required, cost is very low and operation reliable. The injector has been used without problems in 300 abdominal lymphographies.
The preliminary results of an ongoing protocol which is attempting to determine the incidence of lymph node metastasis in unselected patients with previously untreated "apparently localized" carcinoma of the prostate are briefly presented. All patients have disease confined to the prostate gland or periprostatic bed, without evidence of metastasis by standard clinical, laboratory, and radiographic (excluding lymphography) tests. Following lymphography, a "staging laparotomy" is performed which permits histologic documentation of lymph node metastais and provides data for the evaluation of lymphographic accuracy.
From January, 1969 - December, 1974, 242 children less than 15 years of age underwent lymphography at the National Cancer Institute, Milan. Successful lymphatic cannulation was accomplished in 97% (440/463) of the sites where it was attempted. No major or permanent complications were encountered, although minor untoward effects might not have been recorded. In those children undergoing biopsy of opacified lymph nodes, lymphographic-histologic correlation was 98% (45/46). Nonspecific reactive hyperplasia lymphographic patterns were encountered in 36% of all studies, confirming its high incidence in the pediatric age group. This study has shown that lymphography in childhood can be as readily performed as in the adult and that its diagnostic accuracy is acceptable. As in adults, it is useful in treatment planning, evaluating results of therapy, and detecting recurrent tumor. The frequent occurrence of nonspecific reactive hyperplasia in the pediatric lymphogram should not be mistaken for evidence of tumor, particularly lymphoma.
A retrospective study of bipedal lymphography (BL), computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (US) of retroperitoneal lymph nodes has been carried out in 95 patients with newly diagnosed testicular cancer. Twenty-one patients had abnormal lymph nodes at the time of staging. The diagnostic accuracies of CT and US were almost identical with a sensitivity of 80% and 76% respectively and a specificity for both of 100%. BL was performed in 84 patients and was in accordance with US and CT in 66 cases. In 2 cases only BL was positive, while 16 had equivocal results of lymphography, of whom 5 had metastases. Nine patients relapsed to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes during observation, reducing CT/US sensitivity for macroscopic and microscopic disease to 63%. US-guided biopsy was performed in a total of 28 patients at the time of staging or during follow-up. Twenty-three patients had malignant findings and 5 verified benign lesions. US represents a cheap and accurate alternative to CT in the detection of metastatic retroperitoneal lymph nodes. US and US-guided biopsy is indicated supplementary to CT in cases with borderline enlarged nodes on CT. Furthermore, US-guided biopsy should always be performed to verify or exclude relapse, when follow-up examinations reveal abnormal abdominal findings.
X-ray features, frequency and mode of spreading of metastases from ovarian dysgerminoma were studied. The role of lymphography in choosing treatment modality in this clinical setting is outlined. The authors consider lymphography to be mandatory in examining patients suffering ovarian dysgerminoma.
Primary lymphedema of the lower extremities is a clinical entity often misdiagnosed, especially in its mild, distal forms. Its characteristics are: swelling, tightness of the skin, and deepening of the skin folds of one foot, mainly in young girls. Proximal forms with involvement of the lower leg and thigh are often congenital. In later years, these manifestations have to be distinguished from secondary lymphedema due to a block in the lymph nodes (e.g. in malignoma), starting with swelling of the proximal regions of the extremities and the genitalia. Indirect lymphography, especially with new contrast media, however, offer new diagnostic possibilities. The best routine method to confirm or exclude lymphedema is isotopic lymphography.
Iotrolan was used in concentrations of 240 and 300 mg I/ml for indirect lymphography in a total of 70 patients, and permitted a diagnostic evaluation of the peripheral lymphatics in all cases. The contrast quality was found to correlate with the concentration used. The concentration of 300 mg I/ml Iotrolan was judged to provide the better contrast density and definition. Side effects were limited to transient local erythema and pain during the infusion in one patient and a protracted reaction resembling serum sickness in another patient (Iotrolan 240 mg I/ml). Because of its excellent tolerance, Iotrolan is particularly suitable after subepidermal infusion for indirect lymphography, during which the local lymph drainage of cutaneous regions of interest can be evaluated.
The diagnostic value of lymphography and computed tomography (CT) in the assessment of lymph node invasion by bladder cancers has been compared on the basis of 30 observations. Although computed tomography apparently yields better results (reliability: 93%) than lymphography (reliability: 87%), these findings have no statistical significance. The study of literature shows that the statistical exploitation of the results was seldom carried out. The combination of both exploration techniques seems to improve predictive values, but this improvement was not statistically significant in our study.
The authors report the results of the lymphographic examinations performed on 123 patients affected with melanoma of the limbs. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the different clinical stages; they all had pathologic confirmation. The following lymphographic parameters were considered: sensitivity, specificity, efficacy and positive/negative predictive value. The results obtained in the first group of patients (clinical stage: I) demonstrated lymphography to have low sensitivity, specificity and efficacy in the staging of melanomas (37%, 50% and 45%, respectively). On the contrary, lymphography could be trusted in the study of stage II melanomas thanks to its high sensitivity. As for stage III, the methodology had a clinical indication only in the follow-up of melanomas treated with radiochemotherapy.
The authors emphasize the importance of early and exact diagnosis of musculoskeletal tumours of the extremities and spine. This aim cannot be achieved by common biochemical, haematological and X-ray examinations. Therefore the authors recommend to use already during the initial examination of the patient a combination of classical roentgenography, arteriography, possibly lymphography, gammagraphy and computed tomography. The authors present a detailed account of experience with the application of the above diagnostic methods in 146 patients. On arteriograms of 37 patients dislocated main arteries were found 16 times, blood lakes 20 times. Lymphography revealed metastatic affection of regional lymph nodes in 21% of all patients, most frequently in bone reticulosarcoma and in synovial sarcoma. All-body gammagraphy helped to make the localization and assessment of size of the tumour more accurate, in two-thirds of the patients it was larger when visualized by this method than on native roentgenograms. In 3 of 14 Ewing sarcomas all-body gammagraphy revealed a polyostotic localization of the tumour. Computed tomography revealed the extent of infiltration and destruction of bone and soft tissues in pelvic and spinal tumours.
Radiological lymphography presents drawbacks among which the risk of aggravation of the edema is most prominent. The authors report their experience with isotopic lymphography which best reproduces the physiological conditions of lymphatic drainage; it provides informations on the dermal or canalicular drainage route, the possible peripheral stasis or lymph leakage.