🔹OEDEMA〰️Swelling. Abnormal/excessive accumulation of free fluid in the interstitial tissue spaces & serous cavities.

🔹Accumulation of fluid (abnormally) inside the cell is intracellular edema/hydropic degeneration.

🔹Accumulation in body cavities:

  • Peritoneal Cavity – Ascitis
  • Pleural Cavity – Hydrothorax (T.B)
  • Pericardial cavity – Hydropericardium

screenshot-2 TYPES OF OEDEMA👆🏻

🔹PITTING & NON-PITTING EDEMA:

img_7197-4965240 Source: Healthline

➡️ When interstitial fluid volume increases, most of the fluid becomes free that is not bound to proteoglycan meshwork. This type of edema is called pitting edema because when this area is pressed with finger, fluid gets displaced producing depression or a pit as seen in SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUES.

➡️ Edema also develops due to swelling of the cells/clotting of interstitial fluid in the presence of fibrinogen. This is called Non-pitting/solid edema because its hard & a pit is not formed by pressing.

  • e.g. – Myxodema
  • – Elephantiasis

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🔹 Pathogenesis of Edema:

➡️ Causative mechanisms that produce edema are:

  1. ⬇️ Plasma oncotic pressure
  2. ⬆️ capillary hydrostatic pressure
  3. Lymphatic obstruction
  4. Sodium & Water retention
  5. ⬆️ capillary permeability
  6. Tissue factors

These mechanisms interfere with normal fluid balance of plasma, interstitial fluid & lymph flow.

1. Increased Plasma Oncotic Pressure:

  • It is exerted by total amount of plasma proteins that tend to draw fluid into the vessels normally.
  • A fall in the total plasma protein level (