Edema : Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

• Classification
• The Reasons

Edema is an interstitial accumulation of fluid that leads to an increase in the size of body parts. Most often, edema occurs with cardiac diseases, allergic reactions, kidney pathologies, venous insufficiency. By localization, they can be generalized and localized (swelling of the face, legs, arms, genitals, etc.). The minimum diagnostic volume includes a physical examination, chest Rg, ECG, ultrasound (heart, liver, kidney, limb veins), allergy tests, laboratory tests (OAM, electrolytes, proteinogram, etc.). Treatment is aimed at eliminating the identified cause of edema.

Classification

Fluid can accumulate both in soft tissues and in body cavities. In accordance with this, there are:

• swelling of the subcutaneous tissue;
• dropsy (hydropericardium, hydrothorax, ascites);
• anasarka.

Given the prevalence of edema, they are divided into systemic (for example, angioedema, myxedema) and local (face, limbs, eyelids, lips, genitals). By their nature, subcutaneous edema can be soft (when pressing on the skin, a “fossa” remains) and dense (no traces remain when pressed).

A common classification of edema is their division depending on the causative factor. Of practical importance is the allocation of the following clinical forms of edema:

• renal;
• cardiac;
• venous;
• lymphostatic;
• allergic;
• protein ("hungry");
• edema of internal organs - pulmonary edema, cerebral edema.

The reasons

The release of interstitial fluid into the surrounding tissues can be due to various mechanisms: venous or lymphatic obstruction, an increase in capillary permeability due to inflammation, a decrease in plasma oncotic pressure as a result of hypoproteinemia, etc. With edema, there is a pronounced hyperhydration of the intercellular spaces against the background of a violation of the water and electrolyte balance inside cells. The most common causes of edema include:

• Venous insufficiency : varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, post-thrombophlebitic disease.
• Cardiac pathology: CHF, pulmonary hypertension, restrictive cardiomyopathy.
• Kidney disease: nephrotic syndrome, glomerulonephritis, renal amyloidosis.
• Diseases of the lymphatic system: lymphedema, lymphangiectasia.
• Diseases of the digestive system: celiac disease, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic pancreatitis, protein starvation.
• Allergy: Quincke's edema, hay fever, reaction to insect bites.
• Endocrine disorders: myxedema, premenstrual syndrome.
• Avitaminosis: take-take.