Håkan Brorson

Publications (47) View all

• Article: Standardised measurements used to order compression garments can be used to calculate arm volumes to evaluate lymphoedema treatment.

  Håkan Brorson, Patrik Höijer
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  ABSTRACT: Abstract Lymphoedema treatment outcome can be evaluated by calculating estimated limb volumes directly by water displacement (plethysmography; PG), or indirectly by circumference measurements (CM) and using the formula for a truncated cone. This study assessed the correlation between PG and circumference volume measurements to assess whether the correlation is acceptable, and if circumference measurements can be used to accurately assess arm volume. Ten women with unilateral lymphoedema after breast cancer treatment with a mean age of 66 (range 50-83) years volunteered for arm volume estimates by PG and circumference measurements. The coefficient of variation (CV%) for all methods was calculated. Two Excel-based formulae of the truncated cone were developed; one for fixed 4-cm intervals leading to 10 volume segments (CM-10-VS), and one for varying intervals leading to four volume segments (CM-4-VS). The CV% was 0.609% for PG, 0.628% for CM-10-VS, and 0.632% for CM-4-VS. As expected, PG generated a significantly larger volume of both arms because it includes the hand. The difference between CM-10-VS and CM-4-VS measurements was not significant. All three measurement methods showed a high coefficient of correlation (0.813-0.915), and a high coefficient of regression (0.863-1.089). The excess volume, which is used to determine treatment outcome, showed the respective values of 0.932-0.978 and 0.963-1.020, respectively. Using circumference measurements identical to those used when ordering made-to-measure compression garments speeds up volume measurements and can be used safely to evaluate lymphoedema treatment outcome.
  Journal of plastic surgery and hand surgery. 12/2012; 46(6):410-5.
• Article: Evaluation of measurement of fat mass reduction after liposuction in obese patients.

  Emma Hansson, Sölve Elmståhl, Henry Svensson, Jonas Manjer, Håkan Brorson
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  ABSTRACT: Abstract Body composition measurements are used to evaluate surgical treatment, such as bariatric surgery in over weight patients. Nowadays, there are many different methods to measure body composition available. However, none of them has been validated for use in patients after operation. The aim of the present study was to compare the amount of surgically removed fat with two different methods, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and total body potassium (TBK). Amount of removed fat during liposuction was measured 1, 2, 3, 4, 14 days, and 1 year postoperatively in 27 obese patients after liposuction. The results were compared with actual removed fat during the operation. The median fat mass removed was 4020 grams (range 1954-9655). Postoperatively there was a varying reduction in fat mass, as measured with BIA and with TBK. There was a clear difference between the range of amounts removed measured with BIA and the range of amount removed measured with TBK. This study indicates that BIA, but not TBK, is an appropriate method to measure fat mass in obese subjects in a surgical setting. BIA seems to underestimate the amount of fat removed, whereas TBK seems to overestimate it.
  Journal of plastic surgery and hand surgery. 10/2012;
• Source

  Available from: Anders Tingberg

  Article: Breast compression in mammography: pressure distribution patterns.

  Magnus Dustler, Ingvar Andersson, Håkan Brorson, Patrik Fröjd, Sören Mattsson, Anders Tingberg, Sophia Zackrisson, Daniel Förnvik
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  ABSTRACT: Background Breast compression is important in mammography in order to improve image quality, better separate tissue components, and reduce absorbed dose to the breast. In this study we use a method to measure and visualize the distribution of pressure over a compressed breast in mammography.PurposeTo measure and describe the pressure distribution over the breast as a result of applied breast compression in mammography.Material and Methods One hundred and three women aged 40.7-74.3 years (median, 48.9 years) invited for mammographic screening consented to take part in this study. They were subjected to two additional breast compressions of the left breast (standard force and approximately 50% reduction). Pressure images of the compressed breast were obtained using force sensing resistor (FSR) sensors placed underneath the compression plate. Subjects rated their experience of pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS).ResultsFour pressure patterns were identified, fitting 81 of the 103 breasts, which were grouped accordingly. The remaining 22 breasts were found to correspond to a combination of any two patterns. Two groups (43 breasts) showed pressure mainly over the juxtathoracic part of the breast, had significantly greater breast thickness (P = 0.003) and had a lower mean pressure over dense tissue (P < 0.0001) than those with more evenly distributed pressure. Reducing compression force increased average breast thickness by 1.8 mm (P < 0.0001).Conclusion The distribution of pressure differed greatly between breasts. In a large proportion of breasts the compression plate did not provide optimal compression of the breast, the compression force being absorbed in juxtathoracic structures.
  Acta Radiologica 09/2012; · 1.37 Impact Factor
• Article: Quality-of-life in patients with Dercum's disease--before and after liposuction.

  Emma Hansson, Jonas Manjer, Henry Svensson, Håkan Brorson
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  ABSTRACT: Dercum's disease is characterised by obesity, pronounced pain in the adipose tissue, and a number of associated symptoms. Liposuction has been suggested as a treatment. However, the effect on quality-of-life after liposuction in Dercum's disease has never been investigated. The objective of this study was to examine the quality-of-life in Dercum's disease before and after liposuction. A total of 114 women fulfilling the clinical criteria of Dercum's disease were included. Of the 114 women, 53 were operated on with liposuction and 61 were Dercum controls. In addition, 41 obese healthy women operated on with abdominoplasty were recruited as controls. Health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) was measured with the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and the Psychological General Well-Being index (PGWB). The Dercum group had lower HRQoL than the abdominoplasty controls. After liposuction, a slight improvement could be seen in HRQoL in the operated patients compared with preoperatively, but it did not become as high as in the abdominoplasty patients. In conclusion, the findings could suggest that liposuction improves the quality-of-life slightly in Dercum's disease. Nonetheless, the causality is unclear and the improvement is not big enough to warrant operation.
  Journal of plastic surgery and hand surgery. 09/2012; 46(3-4):252-6.
• Source

  Available from: Håkan Brorson

  Article: Depression in Dercum's disease and in obesity: a case control study.

  Emma Hansson, Henry Svensson, Håkan Brorson
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  ABSTRACT: Dercum's disease is characterised by pronounced pain in the adipose tissue and a number of associated symptoms. The condition is usually accompanied by generalised weight gain. Many of the associated symptoms could also be signs of depression. Depression in Dercum's disease has been reported in case reports but has never been studied using an evidence-based methodology. The aim of this study was to examine the presence of depression in patients with Dercum's disease compared to obese controls that do not experience any pain. A total of 111 women fulfilling the clinical criteria of Dercum's disease were included. As controls, 40 obese healthy women were recruited. To measure depression, the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was used. According to the total MADRS score, less than half of the patients were classified as having "no depression" (44%), the majority had "light" or "moderate depression" (55%) and one individual had "severe depression" in the Dercum group. In the control groups, the majority of the patients were classified as having "no depression" (85%) and a small number had "light depression" (15%). There was a statistically significant difference for the total MADRS score between the two groups (p = 0.014). The results indicate that the patients with Dercum's disease are more likely to suffer from depression than controls.
  BMC Psychiatry 07/2012; 12:74. · 2.55 Impact Factor