<p>Worldwide, 140–250 million cases of lymphoedema are estimated to exist, with filariasis being the most common cause (Miller, 1998). Until now, there has been no precise estimation of the incidence of the disease in China. Fifty years ago, filarial lymphoedema was the most common variation of the disease. China was one of the most seriously affected countries in the world and filariasis was endemic. Filariasis could be found in 16 provinces, covering more than 800 counties/cities. There were about 30 million filariasis cases in the country. About five million people suffered from clinical manifestations of filariasis, including acute lymphadenitis, lymphangitis, lymphoedema, elephantiasis, hydrocele and chyluria (Sun, 1999).</p>
