Given the dearth of quantitative metrics for staging lymphedema, we assessed subcutaneous and muscle tissue imaging metrics for patients with lower extremity lymphedema. Subcutaneous and muscle tissue thickness, subcutaneous thickness fraction (subcutaneous /sum of subcutaneous and muscle tissue thickness), and subcutaneous area fraction (subcutaneous / sum of subcutaneous and muscle tissue area) were measured. Leg subcutaneous measures strongly and significantly correlated with International Society of Lymphology lymphedema stage, while thigh subcutaneous measures demonstrated a trend to moderate correlation with stage. As lymphedema typically progresses from the distal to proximal extremity, the greater correlation with the leg is expected.
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