Diagnosing lymphoedema - Lymphoedema

You may be at risk of developing lymphoedema during treatment for cancer. But your treatment team will check you for the condition.

In other situations, contact your GP if you have symptoms of swelling.

To diagnose lymphoedema, your GP will:

• ask about your symptoms and medical history
• examine the affected limb and measure it to see if it's enlarged

They will refer you to a lymphoedema service for further assessment if necessary.

Further tests

Often further tests are not necessary. But your doctor or lymphoedema therapist may use them to assess and track your condition.

If you or your child has primary lymphoedema, they may recommend genetic testing.

Measuring limb volume

In some cases, your lymphoedema therapist may measure the affected limb with:

• a tape measure at certain points along the limb
• a special tank of water - they measure the amount of water that's displaced when you put the limb in the tank
• perometry - this uses infrared light to measure the outline of the limb

Bioimpedance testing

During a bioimpedance test, you stand on a special device that looks like a weighing scales.

The device releases a small, painless electric charge and measures the current. Changes in the strength of the current can show the presence of fluid in your tissue.

Imaging tests

Imaging tests make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. They can help diagnose and track lymphoedema.

The tests can include:

• lymphoscintigrams - your doctor injects a very small amount of radioactive dye and a scanner shows it moving through your lymphatic system
• MRI scans
• ultrasound scans
• CT scans (computerised tomography scans)

Your doctor can use these scans to get a detailed image of the affected tissue. Scans are useful to check for blockages.