TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Approach to the Patient with Edema A1 - Celestin, Carmel A. A1 - Ruschhaupt III, William F. A2 - Dieter, Robert S. A2 - Dieter, Raymond A. A2 - Dieter, Raymond A. PY - 2011 T2 - Venous and Lymphatic Diseases AB - Edema is a common clinical presentation in any type of medical practice. Patients may complain of swelling or may have vague and subtle symptoms of stiffness, achiness, heaviness, or a feeling of tightness of the shoes. One must first realize that edema itself should not be considered a diagnosis; rather, it should be considered a sign of an underlying disorder, which is not necessarily vascular. It may pose a diagnostic and treatment dilemma because of an exhaustive list of potential causes and its risk of resulting in significant morbidity with ulcer formation. In most cases, however, the dilemma it causes can be solved with a directed, systematic history and physical examination. This chapter focuses on guiding clinicians on the causes of edema and their distinguishing features. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Medical CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/19 UR - accesscardiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1126492748 ER -