Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Lymphedema, cardiac septal defects, and characteristic facies: Possible new case of Irons-Bianchi syndrome.

Lymphedema, cardiac septal defects, and characteristic facies: Possible new case of Irons-Bianchi syndrome.
Am J Med Genet A. 2007 Sep 12

van Steensel MA, van Geel M, Schrander-Stumpel C, Steijlen PM, Veraart JC.

email: M.A.M. van Steensel (mvst@sder.azm.nl)
*Correspondence to M.A.M. van Steensel, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Maastricht, P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

We describe a Dutch girl with fetal hydrops, congenital lymphedema of the lower legs, complex congenital cardiac malformation, and a typical face with epicanthal folds. This particular combination of symptoms has been previously described by Irons and Bianchi in 1996. Our report confirms their observation and suggests that this particular constellation of symptoms may constitute a new syndrome. Molecular analysis confirms this statement by demonstrating absence of mutations in several genes known to be involved in syndromes with lymphedema.

(c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

A randomized controlled trial of weight reduction as a treatment for breast cancer-related lymphedema.

A randomized controlled trial of weight reduction as a treatment for breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Cancer. 2007 Sep

Clare Shaw, PhD, RD 1 *, Peter Mortimer, MD 2, Patricia A. Judd, PhD, RD 3
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom2Dermatological Medicine, Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom3Nutrition and Dietetics, Lancashire School of Health and Postgraduate Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom

email: Clare Shaw (clare.shaw@rmh.nhs.uk)

Correspondence to Clare Shaw, Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, United Kingdom

Keywords: diet • weight reduction • breast cancer • lymphedema • intervention

BACKGROUND: Obesity is considered a risk factor for the development of breast cancer-related lymphedema of the arm and as a poor prognostic factor in response to lymphedema treatment. The objective of this study was to examine weight reduction as a treatment for breast cancer-related lymphedema.

METHODS: Twenty-one women with breast cancer-related lymphedema were randomized either to receive dietary advice for weight reduction or to receive a booklet on general healthy eating. They were monitored for 12 weeks.

RESULTS: The primary outcome measure was arm volume at 12 weeks. The results indicated a significant reduction in swollen arm volume at the end of the 12-week period (P = .003) in the intervention weight-reduction group. There was a significant reduction in body weight (P = .02) and body mass index (P = .016) in the weight-reduction group at the end of the 12-week study period.

CONCLUSIONS: Weight loss achieved by dietary advice to reduce energy intake can reduce breast cancer-related lymphedema significantly. Cancer 2007. (c) 2007 American Cancer Society.

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