Cross-sectional areas of calf soft tissue measured with MRI as a new method for staging gynecologic oncology-related extremity lymphedema / 实用放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To determine whether the cross-sectional area (CSA)of the calf measured with MRI could stage lower ex-tremity lymphedema (LEL)secondary to gynecological cancer treatments.Methods 148 patients were enrolled in this research.116 females with unilateral LEL and 32 without LEL after gynecological cancer treatments underwent calf MRI and water displacement. Total soft tissue CSA (T),muscle CSA (M)and subcutaneous tissue CSA (S)of affected calf,and difference of T (DT),M (DM) and S (DS)between calves were obtained on MRI at mid-calf level.Volume of affected calf and difference of volume (DV)between calves were obtained by water displacement.Statistical analysis was performed to determine feasibility of MRI measurements for ac-cessing LEL.Results There were close correlations between volume and T or S of affected calf,and between DV and DT or DS of calves.The correlations of stages of LEL with T and S of affected calf as well as DT and DS were stronger than the volume of affect-ed calf and DV (P< 0.01).Multivariate analysis showed more significant differences in T and S than in volume of affected calf,and in DS than in DV between LEL stages (P< 0.05).No difference was found in volume of affected calf and in DV between stage 0 andⅠ. For staging LEL,DS showed the most profound discrimination ability among all measurable parameters.Conclusion DS of calves could be the most reliable parameter recommended for staging and early diagnosis of LEL.