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Update on the Biology and Treatment of Lymphedema

  • Vascular Disease (H Gornik and E Kim, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Opinion statement

The past decade has produced an explosion of insights into lymphatic vascular development and structural biology and, in parallel, into the function of the lymphatics in health and in disease. In lymphedema, there is a spectrum that extends from primary (heritable) to acquired causes of disease. The diagnosis of lymphatic edema implicates a very specific treatment approach that is predicated upon the favorable impact of physiotherapy upon lymph flow and protein clearance from the edematous zones of the body. The recognition of the unique biology that accompanies lymphatic causes of edema has stimulated new research directions that are likely to translate into exciting new pharmacologic and molecular approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

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References and Recommended Reading

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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  1. Stanford Center for Lymphatic and Venous Disorders, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Stanley G. Rockson MD

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  1. Stanley G. Rockson MD
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Rockson, S.G. Update on the Biology and Treatment of Lymphedema. Curr Treat Options Cardio Med 14, 184–192 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-012-0170-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-012-0170-0

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