Pediatric lymphography: performance, interpretation, and accuracy in 193 consecutive children.

Experience with 193 children 15 years of age or less who were referred for pedal lymphography over the past 11 1/2 years was reviewed. Successful bilateral lymphatic cannulation was obtained in 94% of cases; in only 2% was the study a bilateral failure. No significant complications or permanent sequelae were encountered. Lymphographic-histologic correlation in 94 children yielded an overall accuracy rate of 95% (specificity, 99%; sensitivity, 80%). Interpretative aspects were similar to that in adults; however, the frequent presence of reactive hyperplasia in childhood was noted. These results suggest that lymphography can be successfully and safely performed in children and that its diagnostic accuracy is at least as high as in adults.