No abstract

Objective: To investigate the safety and effi cacy of a novel arm sleeve composed of a conventional arm sleeve extending to a wider area of the body. Materials and Methods: Five subjects with post-mastectomy upper extremity lymphedema, who had already been using their own arm sleeve, used a brand-new conventional arm sleeve for 2 weeks, followed by a novel arm sleeve for 2 weeks. The adverse events, arm-related symptoms, interface pressures, and subcutaneous fl uid distributions observed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were assessed. Results: The use of the novel arm sleeve resulted in a graduated compression extending to the shoulder (forearm, 21.8 ± 3.7 mmHg; upper arm, 15.2 ± 3.3 mmHg; shoulder, 8.8 ± 3.1 mmHg). By eliminating the wring seen in the conventional arm sleeve, the disturbed proximal diffusion of the subcutaneous fl uid and venous occlusion were successfully avoided, as confi rmed by MRI. No adverse event or worsening of arm-related symptoms was reported. Conclusion:The novel arm sleeve seemed to provide graduated compression to a wider area, allowing improved subcutaneous fl uid and venous drainage without any adverse events. Therefore, the novel arm sleeve may be recommended as a compression therapy option for upper extremity lymphedema.