Predictive role of lymphoscintigraphy undergoing lymphovenous anastomosis in patients with lower extremity lymphedema: a preliminary study

Table 2 Relationships between lymphoscintigraphic findings and volume change

Qualitative lymphoscintigraphic indicators		Volume difference ratio at 3 months			Volume difference ratio at 1 year
Qualitative lymphoscintigraphic indicators		N	Mean rank	p-value	N	Mean rank	p-value
Inguinal LN uptake	Absent	7	8.71	N-S	7	9.71	N-S
	Present	10	9.20		10	8.50
Main lymphatic vessel	Absent	13	10.23	N-S	13	9.46	N-S
	Present	4	5.00		4	7.50
Collateral vessel	Absent	15	9.13	N-S	15	9.60	N-S
	Present	2	8.00		2	4.50
Dermal backflow (Pattern 1)	Absent	5	6.80	N-S	5	5.60	N-S
	Present	12	9.92		12	10.42
Dermal backflow (Pattern 2)	Absent OR distal only	12	8.08	N-S	12	8.42	N-S
	Proximal only OR whole lower limb	5	11.20		5	10.40
Dermal backflow (Pattern 3)	Absent OR proximal only	7	6.71	N-S	7	5.29	0.010*
	Distal only OR whole lower limb	10	10.60		10	11.60
Dermal backflow (Pattern 4)	Absent OR distal only OR proximal only	14	7.86	0.047*	14	7.86	0.047*
	Whole lower limb	3	14.33		3	14.33

Quantitative lymphoscintigraphic indicators	Volume difference ratio at 3 months		Volume difference ratio at 1 year
Quantitative lymphoscintigraphic indicators	Correlation coefficient (Spearman’s rho)	p value	Correlation coefficient (Spearman’s rho)	p-value
1 h LN uptake ratio	− 0.007	N-S	0.020	N-S
1 h Extremity uptake ratio	0.431	N-S	0.456	N-S
1 h Injection site clearance ratio	− 0.336	N-S	-0.130	N-S
2 h LN uptake ratio	0.007	N-S	0.044	N-S
2 h Extremity uptake ratio	0.574	0.016*	0.723	0.001*
2 h Injection site clearance ratio	− 0.034	N-S	0.066	N-S

ISSN: 1471-2342