References
Secondary lymphoedema – causes, diagnosis and treatment
Abstract
This chronic condition is potentially distressing for patients. Margaret Perry explains what nurses working in primary care need to know about diagnosis and management of this condition.
Lymphoedema is a long-term chronic disease which can have a devastating effect on the affected persons quality of life. The condition can be classified as primary or secondary, the latter being the commonest type. This article will therefore focus on secondary lymphoedema and will look at causes, diagnosis, treatment and complications, with the hope that the information given will give nurses and non-medical prescribers more confidence in assessing patients presenting with symptoms of this unpleasant disease.
Lymphoedema is a long-term chronic condition, caused by a problem with the normal functioning of the lymphatic system. There is swelling to an area of the body, and this may be localised to a small area, or be more widely spread causing swelling to a larger area such as an arm or a leg. Lymphoedema may be primary or secondary with the latter being the most prevalent type. This article will therefore focus predominantly on secondary lymphoedema and hopes to give nurses and non-medical prescribers more confidence when faced with patients presenting with this problem.
The condition is generally classified as either:
Primary lymphoedema: This is an inherited or congenital condition that causes a malformation of the lymphatics system, most often because of genetic mutation (Sleigh and Manna 2023). Primary lymphoedema can be subdivided into three categories as follows: (Sleigh and Manna 2023).
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