Home volumetry foretells a new era of self-management for patients with lymphedema after breast cancer.

We designed a device for quick and accurate measurement of arm volume at home. The device is non-commercial, and plans for construction and use are widely available. A single subject with arm lymphedema used the volumeter at home for more than one year and learned to better self-manage her condition.

A simple and innovative device to measure arm volume at home for patients with lymphedema after breast cancer.

Purpose: We designed an arm volumeter specifically for home use based on the water displacement method. The objective of this study was to determine its accuracy and precision, and compare it with a standard volumeter used in lymphedema clinics worldwide.

Patients And Methods: Using a standard model hospital volumeter and our own device, we took three consecutive measurements of 11 specially cast cylinders, which had known volumes ranging from 10 mL to 4 L, and measurements of both arms of 15 volunteers.

Prevalence and clinical significance of solitary pulmonary sub-segmental microembolism.

Background: Solitary pulmonary microembolism is rarely discussed as a distinct diagnostic entity. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of embolism limited to subsegmental branches in a group of patients discharged from hospital on anticoagulants with a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism based on ventilation-perfusion imaging followed by selective angiography.

Material And Methods: Of 29 consecutive patients with classic signs of pulmonary embolism at angiography, we identified a subgroup of 5 patients with sub-segmental embolism, which was solitary in all cases.