Feasibility of Lymph Edema-induced Reticulation Subtraction Based on Computerized Tomography

It is known that fibrosis of the subcutaneous soft tissue progresses over time in the lymph edema, and this change progresses to reticulation pattern.

Authors will develop a digital subtraction technique for the extraction of lympho-proliferative reticulation using the Housfield unit of non-reticulation structure (bones, muscles, tendons, vessels, nerves) in the axial image of CT.

Based on the medical records, authors will develop an early diagnosing tool by checking the correlation of the values derived the new technique with circumference, multi-frequency bio-electric impedance analysis, ISO sub-stage, and lymphascintigraphy, and qualify the cut-off values showing high sensitivity and specificity through the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses.

Inclusion criteria

• In- and out-patients who was diagnosed a secondary lymphoma and undertook CT on their limbs

Exclusion criteria

• Primary lymph edema (congenital lymph edema, lymph edema precox, lymph edema tarda)
• Lymph edema simultaneously involving both limbs
• Patients who undertook implantation of electrical devices such as cardic pacemakers