Ultrasonografic changes in the axillary vein of patients with Ultrasonografic changes in the axillary vein of patients with Ultrasonografic changes in the axillary vein of patients with Ultrasonografic changes in the axillary vein of patients with Ultrasonografic

ABSTRACT Objective: to determine the prevalence of sonographic abnormalities (SA) in the axillary vein of patients with and without post-mastectomy lymphedema. Methods: We studied a sample of 80 women, divided into two equal groups, with and withoutlymphedema, with B mode ultrasound, color and pulsed Doppler. The primary variable, SA, is defined as change in the venousdiameter, parietal thickening, intraluminal images, compressibility, parietal collapse at inspiration and feature of the axillary venousflow on the operated side. Secondary variables were: stage of lymphedema, surgical technique, number of radio andchemotherapy sessions, limb volume, weight and age. The differences between the proportions in the groups were determinedusing the Chi-square test and / or Fisher’s test. For continuous variables, we used the Mann-Whitney Test. To estimate themagnitude of the associations, we used the prevalence rate of SA in both groups as a measure of frequency, and as a measure ofassociation, the prevalence ratio (PR) obtained as a function of relative risk (RR) and estimated by the test Mantel-Haenszelhomogeneity test. We adopted the statistical significance level of 5% (p < 0.05). Results: only the criterion “parietal thickening”was strongly associated with the lymphedema group (p = 0.001). The prevalence of SA was 55% in patients with lymphedema and17.5% in the group without it, with difference in prevalence of 37.5%. Conclusion: the prevalence of SA was higher in patientsundergoing mastectomy with lymphedema than in those without lymphedema.Key words: Breast cancer. Axillary Vein. Lymphedema. Ultrasonography.1. Discipline of Operative Technique and Experimental Surgery, Bahia School of Medicine and Public Health. Salvador, BA, Brazil; 2. University ofHealth Sciences of Alagoas - UNCISAL, AL, Brazil; 3. Department of Health Sciences, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilheus, BA, Brazil; 4. ResearchMethodology Course, Health Sciences State University of Alagoas, Maceio, AL, Brazil; 5. Discpline of Angiology, State University of SouthwestBahia, Vitoria da Conquista, BA, Brazil; 6. Discipline of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Sao Paulo School of Medicine, Federal Universityof Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.