LYMPHSPIRATION PRIMARY LYMPHEDEMA AND ACUTE LEUKEMIA – IS THERE A LINK?

Abstract

The lymphedema service in Glasgow hasbeen treating patients with lymphedema of allcauses since 1991. In the past five years 3patients with primary lymphedema have beendiagnosed with myelodysplasia (leading toacute leukemia) or acute leukemia. These arerelatively unusual malignancies given the agesof the patients and all three of these patientsdied within an average of 12 months ofdiagnosis. A connection between the presenceof primary lymphedema and the subsequentdevelopment of the hematological disorder ispostulated. Standard marrow cytogeneticsfailed to identify a common abnormality butthe authors feel that further study iswarranted.