Adipocytes are larger in lymphedematous extremities than in controls

Figures & data

Table 1. Age (years) at the time of biopsy of all patients and patients with arm and leg lymphedema.

Patient group	All patients	Arm lymphedema	Leg lymphedema
Mean	58	61	54
SEM	2.1	2.5	3.3
Range	17–88	39–88	17–76

Figure 1. Representative hematoxylin and eosin staining of biopsies from (A) control and (B) patient; cancer-induced lymphedema in left leg. Biopsies from (C) control and (D) patient; cancer-induced lymphedema in right arm.

Figure 2. Mean adipocyte size (mean ± SEM) between lymphedema and control in all patients.

Figure 3. Mean adipocyte size difference (mean ± SEM) between arms and legs.

Table 2. Duration and onset (time from cancer operation to debut of lymphedema) of lymphedema, previous radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with larger adipocytes in lymphedema than in controls, and patients with smaller adipocytes in lymphedema than in controls (all leg lymphedema).

Patient group	Duration (years)	Onset (years)	Previous chemotherapy (%)	Previous radiotherapy (%)
Larger adipocytes (n = 38)	11	2.2	50	74
Smaller adipocytes in leg lymphedema (n = 7)	19	2.4	38	50

Figure 4. Mean adipocyte size difference (mean ± SEM) between control and lymphedema in arm and leg, respectively.

Figure 5. Mean adipocyte size difference (mean ± SEM) between patients who had and who had not received previous radiotherapy.

Figure 6. Mean adipocyte size difference (mean ± SEM) between patients who had and who had not received previous chemotherapy.

Figure 7. Mean adipocyte size difference (mean ± SEM) between patients who had received both chemo- and radiotherapy, and patients who had not received any additional treatment.