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The condition is commonly associated with vascular and cardiac changes associated with aging but can be caused by many other conditions, including congestive heart failure, kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, trauma, alcoholism, altitude sickness, pregnancy, hypertension, sickle cell anemia, a compromised lymphatic system or merely long periods of time sitting or standing ...
swelling (edema) varicose veins; brownish or reddish skin discoloration; ulcer; These signs and symptoms may vary among patients and over time. With PTS, these symptoms typically are worse after walking or standing for long periods of time and improve with resting or elevating the leg. [1]
Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue, [1] a type of swelling. [4] Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. [1] Symptoms may include skin that feels tight, the area feeling heavy, and joint stiffness. [1]
Patients present with an acute onset of swelling, pain, erythema, prominent tenderness, warmness and limited range of motion in both ankles. [1] [2] Lower legs and heels may also be involved, however the distal parts of feet and toes are usually spared. Patients may also experience high-graded fever, pitting edema and hypotension.
As functional venous valves are required to provide for efficient blood return from the lower extremities, this condition typically affects the legs. If the impaired vein function causes significant symptoms, such as swelling and ulcer formation, it is referred to as chronic venous disease. [3]
Elephantiasis, often incorrectly called elephantitis, is the enlargement and hardening of limbs or body parts due to tissue swelling . [ 1 ] [ 2 ] It is characterised by edema, hypertrophy , and fibrosis of skin and subcutaneous tissues, due to obstruction of lymphatic vessels ( lymphedema ). [ 2 ]
Lymphedema, also known as lymphoedema and lymphatic edema, is a condition of localized swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system. [2] The lymphatic system functions as a critical portion of the body's immune system and returns interstitial fluid to the bloodstream .
The result is edema, pain and a white appearance (alba) of the leg. The next step in the disease progression is occlusion of the superficial venous system, thereby preventing all venous outflow from the extremity. At this stage it is called phlegmasia cerulea dolens. The leg becomes more swollen and increasingly more painful.