Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
1-1-2023
Journal
Frontiers in Physiology
Abstract
The lymphatics play important roles in chronic diseases/conditions that comprise the bulk of healthcare worldwide. Yet the ability to routinely image and diagnose lymphatic dysfunction, using commonly available clinical imaging modalities, has been lacking and as a result, the development of effective treatment strategies suffers. Nearly two decades ago, investigational near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging and ICG lymphography were developed as routine diagnostic for clinically evaluating, quantifying, and treating lymphatic dysfunction in cancer-related and primary lymphedema, chronic venous disease, and more recently, autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we provide an overview of what these non-invasive technologies have taught us about lymphatic (dys) function and anatomy in human studies and in corollary animal studies of human disease. We summarize by commenting on new impactful clinical frontiers in lymphatic science that remain to be facilitated by imaging.
Keywords
near-infrared fluorescence, lymphatic imaging, indocyanine green, rehabilitation medicine, autoimmune disease, chronic venous disease, lymphedema, lipedema
DOI
10.3389/fphys.2023.1132097
PMID
37007996
PMCID
PMC10050385
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
3-15-2023
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes