Histological Analysis of Skin and Adipose Tissue Remodeling in Secondary Lymphedema: The Role of Lymphatic Dysfunction in Tissue Remodeling

Purpose

Lymphedema is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting approximately 120 million people worldwide. The lack of curative treatments highlights the gaps in our understanding of its underlying pathophysiology. Although the general features and progression of lymphedema are well-characterized, the mechanistic relationship between lymphatic dysfunction and adipose tissue formation remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate how lymphatic injury contributes to adipose tissue deposition by histologically characterizing the skin and adipose tissue of patients with secondary lymphedema compared to healthy controls.