ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Lymphedema

What is lymphedema?

4 May 2021

It is a lymphatic system condition that, by not being able to drain the lymphatic fluid or lymph, causes it to accumulate in the body’s soft tissues, mainly affecting the upper and lower limbs, chest, abdomen, neck, and genitals, usually due to treatments that remove or damage lymph nodes, although other conditions affect lymph flow and can cause this abnormality.

Among the risk factors that can contribute to the onset of this disease are:

  • Arthritis.
  • Psoriasis.
  • Being an older adult.
  • Parasites.
  • Overweight or obesity.

If not treated in time, several serious complications can be triggered, such as:

  • Burst blisters oozing fluid.
  • Skin changes.
  • Cancer.
  • Infectious cellulitis.
  • Septicemia.

Lymphedema is classified into:

  • Primary: they can be congenital or arise during adolescence or years later.
  • Secondary: when the lymphatic system is altered by infections, surgery, radiation, or trauma.

Signs and symptoms Lymphedema

Symptoms can be mild or serious, depending on the type of lymphedema, but in general, the following symptoms are the most frequent:

  • General mobility alterations.
  • Affectations in the skin and circulatory system.
  • Cutaneous fibrosis.
  • Extreme swelling in the upper or lower limbs.
  • Recurrent infections.
  • Heavy limbs.
  • Compression sensation in the affected areas.

If you experience any of these symptoms, see your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and start receiving treatment immediately.

Diagnosis and treatment Lymphedema

Once your doctor analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination to observe the increase in the size of the limbs, which can confirm the diagnosis, but they may also request diagnostic tests, such as ultrasound, lymphoscintigraphy, MRI, and computed tomography.

Even though lymphedema has no cure and can be very annoying for those who suffer from it, the treatment will seek to reduce the inflammation and the development of any complications through antibiotics, exercises, lymphatic drainage massages, compression garments, and stockings, as well as how to maintain extreme skincare.

If deemed necessary, surgery may be required to:

  • Create new drainage pathways.
  • Remove fibrous tissue.
  • Lymph node transplant.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Related centers and departments Lymphedema

Internal medicine
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • cun.es
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • msdmanuals.com
  • topdoctors.es
  • medigraphic.com
  • Martínez LT, Suárez GPY. Bodyflow como tratamiento alternativo del linfedema. Rev Cub de Med Fis y Rehab. 2020;12(2):1-8.
  • García-Manzano RA, García-Espinoza JA, Flores-Carrillo VM, et al. Linfedema penoscrotal primario, una entidad clínica inusual: reporte de un caso. Rev Mex Urol. 2020;80(2):1-7.
  • Uclés VV, Muñoz PY. Manejo quirúrgico del linfedema secundario al cáncer de mama. Rev Clin Esc Med. 2019;9(1):37-47.
  • Bizueto-Rosas H, Hernández-Vázquez JI, Martínez-Blanco DF, et al. Linfedema: Síndrome de uñas amarillas. Rev Mex Angiol. 2017;45(4):193-197.

How can we help you?

    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.