Table 6.
Explanatory variables for cellulitis related to the severity of lymphoedema of the arm, a sub-group analysis (n = 460)
| No cellulitis N (%) |
Cellulitis N (%) |
OR 95%CI | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitting (n = 459) | ||||
| Non pitting | 232 (58.44) | 29 (46.77) | 1.00 | |
| Pitting | 165 (41.56) | 33 (53.23) | 1.60 (0.93, 2.74) | 0.085 |
| Tissue quality (n = 459) | ||||
| Soft | 314 (79.09) | 42 (67.74) | 1.00 | |
| Hard (fibrotic) | 83 (20.91) | 20 (32.26) | 1.80 (1.00, 3.23) | 0.046 |
| Stemmer’s sign (n = 458) | ||||
| Negative | 217 (54.80) | 18 (29.03) | 1.00 | |
| Positive | 179 (45.20) | 44 (70.97) | 2.96 (1.65, 5.31) | < 0.001 |
| ISL scale* (n = 460) | ||||
| Stage I | 139 (34.92) | 5 (8.06) | 1.00 | |
| Stage II | 240 (60.30) | 50 (80.65) | 5.79 (2.26, 14.87) | < 0.001 |
| Stage III | 19 (4.77) | 7 (11.29) | 10.24 (2.95, 35.53) | |
| ISL scale* after adjustment for lymphoedema duration and control by logistic regression (n = 326) | ||||
| Stage I | 1.00 | |||
| Stage II | 5.44 (1.59, 18.60) | 0.002 | ||
| Stage III | 9.13 (1.99, 41.84) | |||
*ISL scale = International Society of Lymphology scale (assessment of severity of chronic edema/lymphedema). ISL stage I: Early onset of the condition, with an accumulation of tissue edema that decreases with limb elevation. The edema may be pitting at this stage. ISL stage II: Limb elevation alone rarely reduces swelling and pitting is manifested. ISL stage III: The tissue is fibrotic and pitting is absent. Skin changes such as thickening, hyperpigmentation, increased skin folds, fat deposits, and warty overgrowths develop