oedema

oedema
oedema, oedematous chiefly Brit var of EDEMA, EDEMATOUS

* * *

n.
excessive accumulation of fluid in the body tissues: popularly known as dropsy. The resultant swelling may be local, as with an injury or inflammation, or more general, as in heart or kidney failure. In generalized oedema there may be collections of fluid within the chest cavity (pleural effusions), abdomen (see ascites), or within the air spaces of the lung (pulmonary oedema). It may result from heart or kidney failure, cirrhosis of the liver, acute nephritis, the nephrotic syndrome, starvation, allergy, or drugs (e.g. phenylbutazone or cortisone derivatives). In such cases the kidneys can usually be stimulated to get rid of the excess fluid by the administration of diuretic drugs. Subcutaneous oedema commonly occurs in the legs and ankles due to the influence of gravity and (in women) before menstruation; the swelling subsides with rest and elevation of the legs.
oedematous adj.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • OEdema — [OE]*de ma, n. [NL., from Gr. ? a swelling, tumor, fr. ? to swell.] (Med.) A swelling from effusion of watery fluid in the cellular tissue beneath the skin or mucous membrance; dropsy of the subcutaneous cellular tissue. [Written also {edema}.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Oedema — Oedema, griech., jede örtliche Ansammlung wässeriger Feuchtigkeiten im Zellgewebe der Haut, somit eine partielle Wassersucht, von der Hautwassersucht nur durch ihre geringe Ausbreitung unterschieden; O. nennt man auch Wafferansammlungen in der… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • oedema — (US edema) ► NOUN ▪ an excess of watery fluid in the cavities or tissues of the body. DERIVATIVES oedematous adjective. ORIGIN Greek oid ma, from oidein to swell …   English terms dictionary

  • oedema — [ē dē′mə] n. chiefly Brit. sp. of EDEMA …   English World dictionary

  • oedema — n. excessive accumulation of fluid in the body tissues: popularly known as dropsy. The resultant swelling may be local, as with an injury or inflammation, or more general, as in heart or kidney failure. In generalized oedema there may be… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • oedema — chiefly British variant of edema …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • oedema — a swelling; abnormal accumulation of serous fluid in the interfibrillar spaces of connective tissue. Also spelled edema …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • oedema — (= edema (USA) ) Swelling of tissue: can result from increased permeability of vascular endothelium …   Dictionary of molecular biology

  • oedema — /i dee meuh/, n., pl. oedemata / meuh teuh/. Pathol. edema. * * * …   Universalium

  • oedema — noun a) An excessive accumulation of serum in tissue spaces or a body cavity b) A similar swelling in plants caused by excessive accumulation of water …   Wiktionary

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