Inflammation Precedes Fat Deposition in an Experimental Model of Lymphedema.

Chronic lymphedema is a common complication of lymphatic obstruction, particularly after cancer treatment, characterized by an increased volume of the affected extremity, partly caused by the accumulation of excessive adipose tissue. The relationship between lymph vessels' obstruction and fat deposit is, however, poorly understood. Our central hypothesis was that the inflammatory process caused by lymph stasis precedes the adipocyte differentiation and fat deposition.