Evaluation of lymphatic vessel diameters in healthy people using lymphatic ultrasound examination

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine lymphatic diameters in lower limbs of healthy volunteers in different body positions using lymphatic ultrasound examinations. MethodsThirty-five healthy volunteers participated in this study. Those who had a history of varicose veins in the leg, deep venous thrombosis, or surgery on their legs or abdomen were excluded. We measured the vertical width of the lymphatics with a 33 MHz linear ultrasound probe, at 20 cm above the knee (thigh) and 10 cm below the knee (lower leg). First, the participants were placed supine, then sitting, and then standing. We performed lymphatic ultrasound examinations in each body position. The Student t test was used to compare lymphatic vessel diameters in the supine, sitting, and standing positions. The significance level was set at .05. ResultsAmong 35 healthy volunteers, 17 were men and 18 were women. Mean age was 30.9 (range, 23-55) years. The mean body mass index was 21.3 kg/m2 (range, 29.0-16.1 kg/m2). We could not detect lymphatic vessels in 1 thigh and 3 lower legs, leaving 69 thighs and 67 lower legs for evaluation. In the thigh, the mean lymphatic diameters in the supine and standing positions were 0.154 mm and 0.150 mm, respectively, which were not significantly different. In the lower leg, the mean lymphatic diameters in the supine, sitting, and standing positions were 0.160 mm, 0.163 mm, and 0.164 mm, respectively, which were not significantly different. In the thigh, the mean lymphatic diameter in the supine position was larger in the men (0.17 mm) than in the women (0.14 mm) (P = .022). Similarly, in the lower leg, the mean lymphatic diameter in the supine position was greater in the men (0.19 mm) than in the women (0.14 mm) (P = .0044). There was no correlation between the supine lymphatic diameters and the age or body mass index of the participants. ConclusionsIn healthy legs, lymphatic diameters do not change with body positioning. Supine lymphatic vessel diameters are greater in men than in women.