By the time the patient came to the Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery of the USZ, she already had a long history of suffering and treatment behind her. The 47-year-old woman had been suffering from excruciating pain in her left abdomen for a long time, which intensified after physical activity.

Her pain was accompanied by severe circulatory problems, making it difficult for her to walk 100 meters at a time. As the symptoms increased, a dynamic MR lymphangiography was performed, which allowed the lymph channels and lymph nodes to be visualized.

The lymphangiography showed a cystic dilatation of the left pelvic lymphatic vessels about the size of a pear, in which lymph fluid was repeatedly accumulating. This led to massive pain and probably caused circulatory problems by influencing the autonomic nervous system as well as the spine.