Determining Occlusion Pressure in Lymphatic Vessels

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2015-01-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The lymphatic system is one of the keystones of fluid homeostasis in the interstitium. In analogy with the arterial systolic pressure, the lymphatic systolic pressure can give us information about the functioning of the cardiovascular system and fluid exchange. Actually, knowledge about this physiological parameter is incomplete because of the lack of technology. Former measurement techniques of the lymphatic systolic pressure in the living healthy man were invasive and too complex to be interpreted.

The lymphatic occlusion pressure has to be clarified because lymphedema treatment, concerning the pressure to be applied on the edematous tissue is still based on controversial concepts.

On one hand, techniques such as Manual Lymphatic Drainage, sustain the necessity to apply a very low pressure in order to avoid the squeezing of superficial lymph vessels. On the other hand sustainers of Intermittent Compression Therapy advocate the necessity to apply relatively high pressure to obtain a decongesting effect. These completely opposite opinions triggered us to study lymphatic pressure more thoroughly.

Lymphofluoroscopy (emerging imaging technique in the field of lymphology) is now used since 3 years by the promoters of this study to visualize the architecture of the superficial lymphatic network and the progression of the lymph inside the highlighted vessels. This technique will be used in the present (prospective and multicentric) study to observe the effect of a pressure applied on the limb on the displacement of the lymph, and then to determine the occlusion pressure of the lymphatic vessels.

• Phase: Early Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint Pierre

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy volunteers

• Written informed consent signed

Exclusion Criteria:

• Coronary disease

• Pregnancy

• Allergy to iodine or to shellfish

• Breastfeeding

• Advanced renal impairment

• Minors

• Thyroid pathology

• Primary and secondary lymphedema anywhere on the body

• Oncologic history

• Familial lymphedema

• Previous surgery on the studied member, causing risk of a subclinical lymphedema