Lymphatic Function in Patients With a Fontan Circulation From Brazil

It is suggested that the elevated central venous pressure in patients with a Fontan circulation can provoke manifestation of lymphatic dysfunction, met as plastic bronchitis, peripheral oedema and most feared protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). An explorative study from our department at Aarhus University Hospital revealed that the function of the lymphatic vasculature in 10 young Fontan patients with no complications was abnormal compared to healthy controls. However, to further describe and confirm these findings we had to investigate the lymphatic circulation in a larger, older and more complicated group of Fontan patients. The hypothesis is that, patients with a univentricular circulation have a reduced functionality of the lymphatic vasculature and which predisposes them to developing complications such as edema and PLE.