Phlebographic study of the swollen arm following radical mastectomy

Summary 1. The post-operative swelling of the arm in cancer of the breast was studied. Phlebographic examination was performed on 33 patients following radical mastectomy and on 30 patients with normal arms. 2. No correlation was found between the state of the veins in the axillary region as seen in the phlebogram and swelling of arm. 3. Apparent deformities of the vein in the phlebogram, such as narrowing or defective filling, are not necessarily pathological. Only if sharp narrowing of the vein is accompanied by formation of collaterals is obstruction of the vein demonstrated. 4. Of 18 phlebograms performed in patients who had undergone radical mastectomy and had no swelling of the arm, the cephalic vein was visualized in 16 cases. This may prove the importance of the patency of the cephalic vein in preventing post-operative swelling of the arm.