Articles

THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF PERIPHERAL LYMPHEDEMA Draft Revision of the 1995 Consensus Document of the International Society of Lymphology Executive Committee for Discussion at the September 3-7, 2001, XVIII International Congress of Lymphology in Genoa, Italy

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Abstract

This proposed revision of the 1995 ISL Consensus Document in the evaluation and management of peripheral lymphedema (1) is based upon modifications suggested and published following the 1997 XVI International Congress of Lymphology (ICL) in Madrid, Spain (2), discussed at the 1999 XVII ICL in Chennai, India (3), and considered at the most recent International Society of Lymphology (ISL) Executive Committee meeting in Hinterzarten, Germany (4). It is designed to stimulate and frame debate at the upcoming XVIII ICL (September 2001, Genoa, Italy) and thereby help shape the next official version of the Consensus Document to be published early next year in the Journal and on the ISL Web site.

The document attempts to amalgamate the broad spectrum of protocols advocated worldwide for the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral lymphedema into a coordinated proclamation representing a "Consensus" of the international community. The document is not meant to override individual clinical considerations for problematic patients nor to stifle progress. It is also not meant to be a legal formulation from which variations define medical malpractice. The Society understands that in some clinics the method of treatment derives from national standards while in others access to medical equipment and supplies is limited and therefore the suggested treatments are impractical. We continue to struggle to keep the document concise while balancing the need for depth and details. With these considerations in mind, we believe that the next version of the Consensus should represent the best judgment of the ISL membership on how to approach patients with peripheral lymphedema as of 2001. We anticipate that the document will and should be challenged, debated in· the pages of Lymphology (e.g., as Letters to the Editor),and ideally become a continued focal point for robust discussion at local, national and international conferences in lymphology and related disciplines. We further anticipate as experience evolves and new ideas and technologies emerge that this "living document" will undergo periodic revision and refinement.

How to Cite:

Bernas, M., Witte, C. & Witte, M., (2001) “THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF PERIPHERAL LYMPHEDEMA Draft Revision of the 1995 Consensus Document of the International Society of Lymphology Executive Committee for Discussion at the September 3-7, 2001, XVIII International Congress of Lymphology in Genoa, Italy”, Lymphology 34(2), 84-91.