THE USE OF MRI IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC LYMPHEDEMA OF THE LOWER-EXTREMITY

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used in 10 female patients with c hronic lymphedema of the leg. Soft tissue changes in lymphedema is bes t visualized by T2-weighted sequences. Three patients had a characteri stic honeycomb pattern of the subcutanous tissue, whereas the other pa tients had either diffuse edema or a reticular pattern. The muscular c ompartments were normal, while the dermis was significantly thickened in 9 out of 10 patients. In conclusion, characteristic changes were ob served in MR images of patients with chronic lymphedema of the leg. Fu rther investigations are necessary to evaluate the role of MRI as an a id in the choice of therapy.