Interrater and Intrarater Reliability of Subcutaneous Echogenicity Grade and Subcutaneous Echo-Free Space Grade in Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema

Validity and reliability of selective control of upper extremity scale (SCUES) in patients with chronic stroke

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to investigate the validity and reliability of the Selective Control of Upper Extremity Scale (SCUES) in patients with stroke.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-two patients with stroke aged 18-75 years, were included in the study. Patients were video-recorded while SCUES was administered. The videos were scored to determine the intrarater and inter-rater reliability. Fugl Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), Box and Block test (BBT) and Brunnstrom Stages of Motor Recovery were measured to evaluate validity of SCUES. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the validity of SCUES. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Kappa (κ) and weighted Kappa (κw) were calculated to determine intrarater and inter-rater reliability.

RESULTS

There were significant positive high correlations between SCUES and FMA-UE and BBT and Brunnstrom upper extremity proximal and distal values (rho = 0.944, p = 0.01; rho = 0,875, p = 0.01; rho = 0.84, p = 0.01, rho = 0.82, p = 0.01; respectively) showing validity of SCUES. The ICC value of inter-rater reliability of SCUES was 0,99 (%95 CI: 0,989-0,997, p = 0,001) showing excellent reliability. κ and κ w values for inter-rater and intrarater reliability of individual SCUES items were above 0.7 indicating excellent reliability. ICC of SCUES and FMA-UE indicated excellent intrarater reliability (ICC = 0,99; %95 CI: 0,989-0,997, p = 0,001; ICC = 0.943; %95 CI: 0.9-0.97, p = 0,0001, consecutively).

CONCLUSIONS

SCUES showed similar validity and reliability with FMA-UE and SCUES can be used in the evaluation of upper extremity selective motor control in patients with stroke.

Ultrasonographic features of the skin and subcutis: correlations with the severity of breast cancer-related lymphedema

PURPOSE

Assessing the severity of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) requires various clinical tools, yet no standardized methodology is available. Ultrasonography shows promise for diagnosing lymphedema and evaluating its severity. This study explored the clinical utility of ultrasonography in patients with BCRL.

METHODS

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, patients with unilateral BCRL were examined. The analyzed data included demographics, lymphedema location, International Society of Lymphology (ISL) stage, surgical history, treatment regimens, and arm circumference. Skin, subcutis, and muscle thicknesses were assessed ultrasonographically at predetermined sites, and the percentage of excess thickness was calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify associations between ultrasonographic measurements and advanced lymphedema (ISL 2 or 3). The Lymphedema Quality of Life arm questionnaire was used to evaluate patient-reported outcomes regarding lymphedema and their correlations with ultrasonographic findings.

RESULTS

Among 118 patients, 71 were classified as ISL 0-1 and 47 as ISL 2-3. Patients with advanced lymphedema were older, had higher nodal stages, underwent more axillary lymph node dissections, and had higher rates of dominant-arm lymphedema. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations of greater skin thickness (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.634; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.233 to 17.419), subcutis thickness (adjusted OR, 7.741; 95% CI, 1.649 to 36.347), and subcutis echogenicity (adjusted OR, 4.860; 95% CI, 1.517 to 15.566) with advanced lymphedema. Furthermore, greater skin thickness (P=0.016) and subcutis echogenicity (P=0.023) were correlated with appearance-related discomfort.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasonographic measurements were significantly associated with advanced lymphedema in BCRL. Ultrasonography represents a valuable diagnostic and severity assessment tool for lymphedema.

Ultrasonography as an instrument to evaluate lymphedema secondary to breast cancer: systematic review

Lymphedema is a chronic and progressive disease characterized by fluid accumulation, causing tissue edema as a result of a compromised lymphatic system. Diagnostic ultrasound (DUS) is a method capable of assessing soft tissue characteristics that can be used reliably to diagnose lymphedema as well as for measuring tissue compliance in a clinical setting. This is a systematic review, aiming to evaluate articles that made use of DUS in management of lymphedema secondary to breast cancer. A total of 570 articles were selected, exported to the Rayyan QCRI review program, and then screened by two researchers. From this search, 25 articles were selected after the authors reached consensus and were catalogued as to their main results. Diagnostic ultrasound was identified as an advantageous method that is safe, minimally invasive, low cost, and radiation free and is useful for evaluating the efficacy of therapies used in lymphedema treatment.

The Use of Ultrasound Imaging for Upper Extremity Lymphedema after Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

 The aim of this study was to analyze the different applications of ultrasound (US) in upper extremity lymphedema (UEL) after breast cancer.

METHODS

 A systematic review of the literature was performed in line with the PRISMA statement using MEDLINE/PubMed databases from January 1970 to December 2021. Articles describing the application of US in patients with UEL after breast cancer were included. The quality of the study, the level of reproducibility, and the different applications and type of US technique were analyzed.

RESULTS

 In total, 30 articles with 1,193 patients were included in the final review. Five different applications were found: (1) diagnosis of UEL (14 studies found a direct correlation between lymphedema and morphological and/or functional parameters); (2) staging/severity of UEL (9 studies found a direct correlation between the clinical stage and the soft-tissue stiffness/texture/thickness); (3) therapeutic assessment (3 studies found an improvement in the circulatory status or in the muscle/subcutaneous thickness after conservative treatments); (4) prognosis assessment of UEL (1 study found a correlation between the venous flow and the risk of UEL); and (5) surgical planning (3 studies determined the location of the lymphatic vessel for lymphovenous anastomosis [LVA] surgery).

CONCLUSION

 Morphological and functional parameters have been correlated with the diagnosis, stage, therapeutic effect, prognosis of UEL, and surgical planning of LVA.

Imaging biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment response in patients with lymphedema

Lymphedema is defined as a dysfunction of the lymphatic system producing an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the surrounding tissue, as well as edema and fibrosis. A total of 250 million people worldwide are affected by this condition. Greater than 99% of these cases are related to a secondary cause. As there is a lack of curative therapy, the goal involves early diagnosis, in order to prevent the progression of the disease. Additionally, early diagnosis can aid in decreasing the demand for more complex surgical procedures. Currently, there is an impressive breadth of diagnostic tests available for these patients. We aimed to review the available literature in relation to the utilization of imaging biomarkers for the early diagnosis and treatment response in lymphedema.

From histo-anatomy to sonography in lymphedema: EURO-MUSCULUS/USPRM approach

Lymphedema is a disorder characterized by the accumulation of protein-rich lymphatic fluid in the cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue. Based on the underlying causes, it is classified into primary and secondary forms. The use of ultrasound has recently become widespread in the field of lymphedema - especially for its diagnosis and treatment planning. In this study, we briefly reviewed the anatomy and histology of the skin and subcutaneous tissue - to propose a standardized ultrasound assessment of the superficial tissues in patients with upper-/lower-limb lymphedema. We believe that identification of the sono-histological patterns of the dermo-epidermal complex and subcutaneous tissue has place to serve as a simple and reproducible strategy to evaluate their edema diseases that are often subject to an inaccurate diagnosis in daily clinical practice.