pitting edema

edema /ede·ma/ (ĕ-de´mah) an abnormal accumulation of fluid in intercellular spaces of the body.edem´atous

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angioneurotic edema  angioedema.

cardiac edema  a manifestation of congestive heart failure, due to increased venous and capillary pressures and often associated with renal sodium retention.

cytotoxic edema  cerebral edema caused by hypoxic injury to brain tissue and decreased functioning of the cellular sodium pump so that the cellular elements accumulate fluid.

dependent edema  edema in lower or dependent parts of the body.

edema neonato´rum  a disease of premature and feeble infants resembling sclerema, marked by spreading edema with cold, livid skin.

pitting edema  that in which pressure leaves a persistent depression in the tissues.

pulmonary edema  diffuse edema in pulmonary tissues and air spaces due to changes in hydrostatic forces in capillaries or to increased capillary permeability, with intense dyspnea.

vasogenic edema  cerebral edema in the area around tumors, often due to increased permeability of capillary endothelial cells.

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pitting edema

n.

Edema that retains for a time the indentation produced by pressure.

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Pitting edema

A swelling in the tissue under the skin, resulting from fluid accumulation, that is measured by the depth of indentation made by finger pressure over a boney prominence.

Mentioned in: Edema, Lymphedema

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pitting edema

Etymology: AS, pytt + Gk, oidema, swelling

an edema characterized by a condition in which a finger pressed into the skin over an accumulation of fluid will result in a temporary depression in the skin. Normal skin and subcutaneous tissues quickly rebound when the pressure is released.

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edema (edē´m),

n the accumulation of fluid in the tissues or in the peritoneal or pleural cavities. Primary factors favoring edema are increased capillary hydrostatic pressure (increased venous pressure), decreased osmotic pressure of plasma (hypoproteinemia), decreased tissue tension and lymphatic drainage, increased osmotic pressure of tissue fluids, and increased capillary permeability. Additional renal and hormonal factors are important. Clinical manifestations may consist of a steady weight gain or localized or generalized swelling.

Eczema.

edema, angioneurotic

(an´jēōnerto´ik),
n See angioedema.

edema, cardiac,

n an edema caused by venous congestion in association with congestive heart failure; tends to appear first in such dependent parts as the legs.

edema, dependent,

n an edema that changes its position with the posture of dependent parts (e.g., edema of the legs in progressive heart failure).

edema of glottis

(glot´is),
n an edema caused by fluid accumulation in the soft tissues of the larynx. The condition, usually inflammatory, may result from an infection, injury, allergy, or inhalation of toxic substances.

edema, periorbital

(per´ēor´bitl),
n an edema of the eyelids in association with local injury, allergic reactions, hypoproteinemia, trichinosis, and myxedema.

Periorbital edema.

edema, pitting,

n a persistent indentation of the skin when pressure is applied to an edematous area.

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edema

an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the cavities and intercellular spaces of the body.

Edema can be caused by a variety of factors, including hypoproteinemia, in which a lowered concentration of plasma proteins decreases the osmotic pressure, thereby permitting passage of abnormal amounts of fluid out of the blood vessels and into the tissue spaces. Some other causes are poor lymphatic drainage, increased capillary permeability (as in inflammation), and congestive heart failure. See also anasarca, ascites, hydrothorax, hydropericardium and anatomically located edemas, e.g. brain, corneal, pulmonary edema.

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angioneurotic edema

see angioedema.

cardiac edema

is part of the syndrome of congestive heart failure. It comprises 'bottle jaw', jugular vein engorgement, edema of the brisket and underline, and ascites, hydrothorax and hydropericardium. See also congestive heart failure.

dependent edema

edema affecting most severely the lowermost parts of the body.

edema disease

1. in pigs a highly fatal disease of young pigs in the weaner and grower age groups characterized by incoordination, a hoarseness of voice, weakness, flaccid paralysis and blindness. Edema of the eyelids, face and ears is diagnostic but is seldom visible on clinical examination. The course is short, often less than 24 hours, and many pigs are just found dead. The disease is caused by the opportunistic proliferation of specific serotypes of Escherichia coli in an intestinal environment brought about by a change to a diet more dense in carbohydrates. These have pilus attachment antigens that allow attachment of the organism to the small intestines and produce a verotoxin (VT2e) which produces an increase in vascular permeability in the target vessels in the CNS with resultant neurological disease. Called also gut edema, bowel edema.

2. in goats a disease caused by Mycoplasma F38; a fatal cellulitis.

gravitational edema

see dependent edema (above).

gut edema

see edema disease (above).

hepatic edema

edema is a common accompaniment of hepatic disease because of the decline in production of plasma proteins and a fall in the blood's hydrostatic pressure. Ascites may occur independently because of portal hypertension when there is severe liver disease and obstruction to blood flow in the portal vein.

hypoproteinemic edema

caused by insufficient production of albumin or excess loss through a protein losing enteropathy. See hepatic edema (above), Johne's disease, proliferative enteropathy, type II ostertagiasis.

laryngeal edema

see laryngeal edema.

leg edema

a disease of market age turkeys of unknown cause and characterized by edema of the legs and focal muscle necrosis.

low-pressure edema

noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. See acute respiratory distress syndrome.

edema neonatorum

edema of the newborn. See lymphatic vessel obstruction.

pitting edema

edema in which pressure by the clinician's finger leaves a persistent depression in the tissues.

subcutaneous edema

may be generalized and constitute anasarca. Local areas of edema occur in such other conditions as angioedema and urticaria, edematous plaques in dourine and infectious equine anemia, and in purpura hemorrhagica.

vasogenic edema

that characterized by increased permeability of capillary endothelial cells; the most common form of brain edema.

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pitting edema

Physical exam  A term used to describe the indentation caused when fingertip pressure is applied to the skin, forcing fluids into the underlying tissue; PE occurs when there is an ↑ amount of low protein fluid in the interstitial space, associated with disorders caused by high capillary filtration–DVT, chronic venous insufficiency, or venous obstruction, or hypoalbuminemia; pitting is a subjective assessment using the grading scale of 1+ for mild and up to 4+ for deep pitting. Cf Nonpitting edema.