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Lymphedema Signs & Symptoms

Stages and Accompanying Sign

The main manifestations of soft tissue edema are divided into 3 stages and a pre-stage according to the way the symptoms develop: [1]

Stage 0 – Latent Stage

Disorder of fluid drainage from tissues is without visible or palpable swelling. [2] In functional diagnosis, however, the pathological finding is already apparent. It takes little efforts to create a visible swelling – for example, an insect bite, a bruise, or a sprained ankle. However, the swelling easily subsides when the affected part is lifted.

The first sign of lymphedema is not swelling, but pressure, indeterminate pain, and sometimes increased fatigue.

What is not very common, but very beneficial for the success of the treatment is the detection of the disease in this (so-called latent) phase. Physicians should contribute to the correct diagnosis with information about the patient’s past or current cancer, nodal removal surgery.