Swelling of the lower limb may have a local, regional or systemic cause.
Ankle swelling develops when interstitial fluid production exceeds lymph drainage for a sustained period. This could be because the microvascular filtration rate is high, lymph flow is low, or both. (1)
Bilateral lower limb swelling is usually due to systemic conditions (e.g. cardiac failure) and unilateral swelling is often due to local trauma, venous disease or lymphatic disease.
Risk factors associated with chronic ankle swelling are age, morbid obesity, heart failure, chair-bound immobility and neurological deficiency. (2)
If lower limb swelling is due to decreased lymphatic drainage, approximately 80% must be non-functional before lymphoedema becomes clinically evident. (3)
Iatrogenic lower limb swelling due to prescribed medication may occur. There may be oedema following the use of medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, calcium-channel blockers, thiazolidinediones, corticosteroids, gabapentin, pregabalin, levodopa and oral contraceptives containing oestrogen. (4)
References
Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.