Disarticulation of the left upper extremity for treatment of giant primary lymphedema--case report.

This unusually rare case of giant primary lymphedema of the left upper extremity in a 21-year old woman, who had undergone five surgical procedures (two Charles' procedures and three partial resections) without lasting clinical improvement, demonstrates the difficulty in achieving satisfactory long-term results in patients with grotesquely huge extremities secondary to primary lymphedema. Disarticulation of the left upper extremity was felt to be the most appropriate surgical option in this severe congenital lymphedema patient.