Abstract
A part of lower extremity lymphedema patients secondary to pelvic cancer treatments suffer from lower abdominal lymphedema and/or genital lymphedema, which deteriorates patients’ quality of life with urination troubles and genital lymphorrhea. Genital lymphedema has already progressed and its treatment is challenging, when a patient complains swelling of her genitalia. It is important to diagnose and commence treatments at an early stage of genital lymphedema. Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography, which clearly visualizes superficial lymph flows, is considered useful for early diagnosis. Genital dermal backflow (GDB) stage, a pathophysiological severity staging system, allows early diagnosis of lower abdominal and genital lymphedema before symptom manifestation. Lower abdominal lymphedema precedes genital lymphedema from a lymphodynamic point of view, and early diagnosis and intervention to lower abdominal lymphedema may prevent genital lymphedema. ICG lymphography would ameliorate management of lymphedema secondary to pelvic cancer treatments.
