This type of lymphedema is much more common to see in the clinic and is most commonly related to comprehensive oncologic management, particularly of the breast, pelvis, and abdomen. Secondary lymphedema is classified by the cause of the injury.
1) Surgery:
Lymph nodes and vessels may have to be surgically removed for primary tumors affecting the lymphatic system or for metastatic tumors that spread through the lymphatic system. The physicians are trying to stop the spread of the tumor cells. Lymph node sampling and subsequent removal (if tumor cells are found) in the upper extremity is common in breast cancer surgeries. Pelvic or inguinal lymph nodes may have to be removed for treatment of pelvic or abdominal cancers.
In order to preserve the major lymph nodes, patients will often have imaging to trace potential tumor development and what is called sentinel nodes. Sentinel nodes are like soldiers on the front line. They are the warning nodes. The main lymph nodes affected all the way to the sentinel nodes have to be removed, because the sentinel nodes are the lymph nodes that have some detectable trace of cancer cells. If these nodes are removed along with any affected main lymph node, there is a much better chance now that the axillary or main lymph nodes may be spared as long as the tumor cells are not there. If tumor cells are found in the major lymph nodes, these nodes must be removed, and the patient has a higher likelihood of developing lymphedema.
2) infection and inflammation:
Lymphangitis is inflammation of the lymph vessels, and lymphadenitis is inflammation of the lymph nodes. Enlargement of the lymph nodes is nermed lymphadenopathy. These can all occur as the result of an infection or local trauma, and they can all cause disruption of lymph circulation.
3) obstruction or fibrosis:
There are a lot of things that can clog up the lymphatic system, including trauma, surgery, and neoplasms. Radiation therapy used to treat malignant tumors can cause fibrosis of lymphatic vessels, even long after the physical treatment has ceased.
4) Combined Venous-Lymphatic Dysfunction:
Chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins lead to stagnation within circulation. If the venous system is not returning blood, it is certainly not returning lymph very well; this is because the lymphatic system has increased workload imposed over time, which decreases the efficiency of the lymphatic system.
Because this is a combination of venous and lymphatic dysfunctions, you might see a combined clinical presentation. Common with venous dysfunction, the patient may have dependent edema, which means the swelling is present when the limb is hanging in a gravity-dependent position. These patients can report a dull aching or tiredness in the affected extremity, and you might see varicose veins and bulging veins. The patient may also have hyperpigmentation of the skin.
For the lymbadema portion of this presentation, the patient may have pitting edema, particularly in the dorsal aspect of the foot with swelling in their toes.