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Cutaneous Manifestations of Edema

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Lymphedema

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Abstract

Edema is an excess of interstitial fluid and is an important sign of ill health in clinical medicine. Edema results from an excess of interstitial fluid when lymph load exceeds lymph drainage for a sustained period of time. When it occurs in peripheral tissues, fluid accumulates predominately in the subcutaneous tissues, but also in the skin. When peripheral edema is caused solely by reduced lymph drainage, it is called lymphedema and produces characteristic clinical signs. This chapter describes these signs, which are often of diagnostic importance.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatological Medicine, St George’s University of London, London, UK

    Peter S. Mortimer MD, FRCP

Authors
  1. Peter S. Mortimer MD, FRCP
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Correspondence to Peter S. Mortimer MD, FRCP .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Lymphedema and Vascular Malformations, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Byung-Boong Lee

  2. Falk Cardiovascular Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA

    Stanley G. Rockson

  3. La Jolla, California, USA

    John Bergan

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Mortimer, P.S. (2018). Cutaneous Manifestations of Edema. In: Lee, BB., Rockson, S., Bergan, J. (eds) Lymphedema. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52423-8_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52423-8_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-52421-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-52423-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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