Lymphoedema Evidence Library › Topics › Head and neck lymphoedema
Head and neck lymphoedema
Head and neck lymphoedema
3 sources
Evidence in one minute
- Common after head and neck cancer treatment (reported 12–75% depending on definition), worst after surgery plus radiotherapy. Assessment by rating scales (Földi, MD Anderson), facial tape landmarks and photography; treatment by MLD and light compression; practice varies widely. Purcell 2013
- MLD may be more appropriate here than in limbs because compression is hard to apply (ISL). Executive Committee of the International Society of Lymphology 2023
- Bandaging techniques for head, breast and genitalia: European Wound Management Association ; senior editorial advisor Moffatt CJ; consultant editors Mortimer P 2005.
Update 2026-10-08 — downloaded evidence
- Two 2025 systematic reviews: 4 RCTs (exercise + MLD with taping or compression helps external, not internal, swelling); 37 studies (CDT most consistent; surgery for selected cases). Low certainty. de-la-Cruz-Fernández L 2025 · Rajaram 2025
Gaps
Only one primary source held; no trial data.
How the evidence points
| High | Mod. | Low | V. low | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Null or negative | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sources on this page with a comparison, by the result of their primary outcome and the GRADE certainty of their main finding (Mod. = Moderate, V. low = Very low, None = not graded). Context sources are not counted. How direction is decided.
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