Postmastectomy oedema
Oedema of the arm may complicate any surgery or radiotherapy that disturbs the axillary lymph nodes.
The time course of the oedema is predictive of the cause:
- within 1-2 weeks - axillary vein thrombosis
- within 1-2 months and progressing rapidly - constriction of the axillary vein by scar tissue or lymphatic obstruction
- months or years later - recurrent carcinoma in the lymph nodes
Reference
- Bernas M et al. Etiology and treatment of cancer-related secondary lymphedema. Clin Exp Metastasis. 2024 Aug;41(4):525-548.
Related pages
Create an account to add page annotations
Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page