Approach to leg edema

Abstract

Edema is defined as a palpable swelling caused by an increase in interstitial fluid volume. Leg edema is a common problem with a wide range of possible causes and is the result of an imbalance in the filtration system between the capillary and interstitial spaces. Major causes of edema include venous obstruction, increased capillary permeability and increased plasma volume secondary to sodium and water retention. In both hospital and general practice, the patient with a swollen leg presents a common dilemma in diagnosis and treatment. The cause may be trivial or life-threatening and it is often difficult to determine the clinical pathway. The diagnosis can be narrowed by categorizing the edema according to its duration, distribution (unilateral or bilateral) and accompanying symptoms. This work provides clinically oriented recommendations for the management of leg edema in adults.

The Dropsy of Popes (1555–1978): A Bad Prognostic Sign Foreboding of Death

“…Edema is ever present in biomedical literature; however, the paucity of current data available on elderly patients makes it unsuitable for any discussion of dropsies in 9 elderly popes (Tables 1 , 2 , 3 ) who started their pontificate at a mean age of 66.3 years and died at a mean age of 75.4 years. Thus, particular care was devoted in developing Table 5 based on recent reports specifically devoted to the elderly (Acquah et al, 2019 ; Bolliger & Franzech, 1992 ; Pomero et al, 2017 ; Thaler et al, 2010 ). The latter is an exhaustive review.…”

Influences of lower limb edema on daily lives of elderly individuals in an elderly day care center

“…Most elderly individuals also have malnutrition, low skin tension, low cardiovascular function, and low muscle strength because of aging (Smith, 1996). Moreover, their plasma oncotic pressures and tissue pressures are weaker, and they have increased capillary pressure (Pomero et al, 2017). In addition to these characteristics, edema typically occurs in their lower limbs because of the influences of gravity and the decline of muscle pump activity as a result of decreased mobility and activity.…”