LIMB CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENT FOR RECORDING EDEMA VOLUME IN PATIENTS WITH FILARIAL LYMPHEDEMA

Abstract

To evaluate the impact of therapy and monitor the progression of filarial lymphedema, it isnecessary to measure accurately the changes in limb edema volume. In this communication, wereport the reliability of circumference measurements for recording volume changes. Themeasurements included the distal parts of limbs important for filarial lymphedema. In a series of100 patients with unilateral lower limb lymphedema, both water displacement and circumferencemeasurements were done. The results showed a significant correlation (r=0.91; P=0.0000)between the actual volume and that estimated by circumference measurement. Not only couldvolume of edema be calculated by circumference measurements, but the simple measurement ofaverage circumference difference between the affected and normal limb accurately reflected thevolume of actual edema.