gynecology and obstetrics
Lower Extremity Edema During Late Pregnancy
Etiology
The most common cause of edema in pregnancy is Physiologic edema Physiologic edema results from hormone-induced sodium retention. Edema may also occur when the enlarged uterus intermittently compresses the inferior vena cava during recumbency, obstructing outflow from both femoral veins. Pathologic causes of edema are less common but often dangerous. They include Preeclampsia and Eclampsia None Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) (DVT) Peripartum cardiomyopathy None Cellulitis (see table DVT is more common during pregnancy because pregnancy is a hypercoagulable state, and women may be less mobile. Preeclampsia is a type of pregnancy-induced hypertension; however, not all women with preeclampsia develop upper extremity or facial edema. Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare but serious condition. It can cause other nonspecific symptoms of pregnancy, including dyspnea and fatigue. When extensive, cellulitis, which usually causes focal erythema, may resemble general edema. 