Approaching Malignant Lymphedema: A Case Report

When managing cancer-related lymphedema, physicians should discriminate between benign and malignant types. Benign lymphedema could be solely treated by complex decongestive therapy. However, approach for malignant lymphedema should focus on the treatment of progressed cancer. Despite a lack of research on the assessment tools, identifying malignant lymphedema is important. We report a case of an intractable lymphedema patient whose lymphedema was previously assessed as benign. She was newly diagnosed with malignant lymphedema by computed tomography and showed significant improvement after chemoradiotherapy. This case report shows the clinical significance of CT venography for assessing malignant lymphedema in intractable lymphedema patients.