Abstract #1988

Diffusion weighted imaging of lymphedema post breast cancer treatment

Ned Charles¹, Elizabeth Dylke¹, David O'Brien¹, Angela Borella², Daniel Moses², Sharon Kilbreath¹, and Roger Bourne¹

¹University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, ²Spectrum Medical Imaging, Sydney, Australia

Diffusion weighted imaging was performed in vivo in three patients with forearm lymphedema following lymphadenectomy for breast cancer. The honeycomb-like structure of lymphedema was clearly visible on proton density images. Parameter estimates from fitting monoexponential and kurtosis models to DWI data showed a shift in model parameters corresponding with the areas where lymphedema was present. The parameter shifts suggest an increase in the partial volume of freely diffusing water consistent with edema, and suggest areas of increased interstitial water not visible in proton density images.

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