["Depletion" in the treatment of lymphedema of the lower extremities].

The treatment of lymphedemas consists of two phases: reduction of the edema-prevention of its recurrence. The second phase is invariably linked to the use of a strong contention by means of a stocking. In order to reduce the edema, opinions do not all occur. Some advocate pressotherapy, manual lymphatic drainage, wrapping and immersion in mercury. The authors propose another form of treatment which has the merit to be simple and well tolerated. Their study is based on 187 cases of moderate lymphedema of the lower extremities and, they observed favorable results in 179 patients. For 8 patients, there were partial results, but the treatment prescribed had not been perfectly followed by the patients.