Health and quality of life in patients with primary and secondary lymphedema of the lower extremity

BACKGROUND Little is known about comprehensively measured health and quality of life of lower limb lymphedema (LLL). The aim of this study was to determine health and quality of life of LLL patients stratified by primary and secondary lymphedema compared to a normative population-based data stratified by age, sex and comorbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study of patients after treatment at the department of angiology of a rehabilitation clinic was conducted. Self-assessment was performed by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and two condition-specific measures. RESULTS Primary LLL (n = 52) 75 % female, mean age 47.1 years) reported health comparable to normative values, e. g. SF-36 physical functioning 80.4 (norm 84.1, p = 0.512) and SF-36 vitality 62.7 (59.7, p = 0.117) (mean scores, 100 = best). Secondary LLL (n = 60, 68 % female, mean age 60.6 years) scored 68.1 (73.9, p = 0.049) and 55.2 (56.2, p = 0.800) on the corresponding scales. Mean symptoms and function scores on the specific measures ranged from 70.0 to 83.1 for primary LLL (100 = best) and from 63.3 to 80.6 for secondary LLL. Function, vitality and both SF-36 role dimensions were higher in primary LLL than in secondary LLL, (mean SF-36 vitality 62.7 versus 55.2, p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS Overall health and quality of life was high and comparable to the general population norms in primary LLL. The same was true for most psycho-social scales in secondary LLL whereas functionally some deficits were recorded. Cancer as the most frequent cause for secondary LLL may affect health in these dimensions. Reported negative effects of LLL seem to be well compensated, especially in primary LLL and under optimal treatment