Objective
Lymphoedema is a chronic disease with an evolutionary course without a suitable management. For this reason we have decided to analyze the coexistence of lymphoedema with Covid-19 pandemic.
Material-Methods
During the 2020 lockdown there was the complete suspension of the rehabilitative treatment, public and private, and therefore the patients did not have a response to their disease.
In our centre, only the lymphologist examined patients with urgent clinical needs, after a triage call, but the team was always available to provide advice through phone-video calls.
In the post-lockdown, according to the intermittent government restrictions, we started again the rehabilitative treatments (environmental-personal hygiene rules, protective devices, U.V. air filtration, phone triage).
For patients in follow-up, in this Covid-19 pandemic, the vademecum has always talked about self-management that we have always included in the rehabilitative project as a therapeutic education (self-assessment of oedema, skin care, breathing exercises, manual self-drainage, home pressotherapy, self-bandaging, management of the elastic brace, respect of behavioural-rules, correct diet, physical activity).
Results
In the first phase, clinical worsening in patients (26%), was due to  psychological distress, family problems and economic concerns that induced less-non attention to self-management previously learned.
Psychological distress for the fear of contagion, still leads some patients to postpone rehabilitative treatment.
Conclusions
During the lockdown there was the suspension of the rehabilitative treatment, but urgent clinical evaluation and phone-video calls really limited the clinical worsening. Following this, we are carrying out the rehabilitative treatment in environmental, team and patient safety.

Leggi tutto: Covid-19 pandemic and Lymphoedema…what coexistence?

 Introduction
Lipoedema is a disproportionate, symmetrical fatty swelling on the legs of unknown etiology with pain, orthostatic oedema, frequent haematomas associated, and sometimes involving arms. It affects women above all and brings a reduction in quality of life as well as psychological problems. The diagnosis is clinical, but in this study the author decided to request lymphoscintigraphy to analyze the morphological-functional features of the lymphatic system.

Methods
59 patients affected by lipoedema of the lower limbs were evaluated through a clinical examination which led to differential diagnosis versus obesity and lymphedema, as well as to 3 clinical stages. Lymphoscintigraphy was required in all patients.

Leggi tutto: Usefulness of Lymphoscintigraphy in Lipoedema

M.CESTARI   CENTRO STUDI PIANETA LINFEDEMA - TERNI   www.pianetalinfedema.com                                    

 Nel III stadio tardivo si sviluppa il lipo-linfedema evidenziato anche dall’esame  linfoscintigrafico che evidenzia un rallentato flusso del radiotracciante e comparsa del dermal back-flow, in presenza di normalità linfonodale regionale.
La diagnosi è clinica, ma troppo spesso tardiva e spesso il lipedema è confuso con altre patologie come:
-il linfedema, primario o secondario, che interessa entrambi i sessi, unilaterale o bilaterale asimmetrico (dipende dalla causa), con pitting presente prima della progressione ed insorgenza di fibrosi tissutale, e con usuale presenza del segno di Stemmer;

Leggi tutto: Il delicato confine tra estetica e funzionalità

Come valuta il linfologo il caso clinico che si presenta alla sua attenzione?Ovviamente attraverso una attenta valutazione clinica basata sull’anamnesi e sull’esame obiettivo.
Con l’anamnesi si indaga sulla familiarità, su eventuali traumi recenti o pregressi , su precedenti processi flogistici, sugli esiti di intervento chirurgico e/o di radioterapia, sulla terapia farmacologica in atto, ma anche sull’epoca, la modalità e la sede di insorgenza, le possibili complicazioni avvenute ed il risultato derivante da eventuali trattamenti specifici effettuati.

Leggi tutto: Dalla standardizzazione alla personalizzazione della terapia:come valuto il caso clinico e quali...