Phlegmasia alba dolens

Phlegmasia alba dolens
Phlegmasia alba dolens
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 I80.1
ICD-9 451.11
DiseasesDB 32484

Phlegmasia alba dolens (also colloquially known as milk leg or white leg) is part of a spectrum of diseases related to deep vein thrombosis. Historically, it was commonly seen during pregnancy and in mothers who have just given birth. In cases of pregnancy, it is most often seen during the third trimester, resulting from a compression of the left common iliac vein against the pelvic rim by the enlarged uterus. Today, this disease is most commonly (40% of the time) related to some form of underlying malignancy. Hypercoaguability (a propensity to clot formation) is a well-known state that occurs in many cancer states.

The disease presumably begins with a deep vein thrombosis that progresses to total occlusion of the deep venous system. It is at this stage that it is called phlegmasia alba dolens. It is a sudden (acute) process. The leg, then, must rely on the superficial venous system for drainage. The superficial system is not adequate to handle the large volume of blood being delivered to the leg via the arterial system. The result is edema, pain and a white appearance (alba) of the leg. The next step in the disease progression is occlusion of the superficial venous system, thereby preventing all venous outflow from the extremity. At this stage it is called phlegmasia cerulea dolens. The leg becomes more swollen and increasingly more painful. Additionally, the edema and loss of venous outflow impedes the arterial inflow. Ischemia and, hence, gangrene are the ultimate dreaded consequence.

Phlegmasia alba dolens is distinguished, clinically, from phlegmasia cerulea dolens in that there is no ischemia.[1]

"Phlegmasia alba dolens" literally means "painful white edema".[2] It received the name "milk leg" because it was once thought to be caused by the metastasis of milk.[3]

The incidence of this disease is not well reported.

References

  1. ^ Gregoire, R. La Phlebite bleue (Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens). 1938;48:1313-15.
  2. ^ Dieulafoy, Paul Georges (1912). A Text-book of Medicine. D. Appleton & Co.. pp. 488. http://books.google.com/books?id=r_MRAAAAYAAJ. 
  3. ^ Wright, Adam Henry (1905). A Text-book of Obstetrics. D. Appleton & Co.. pp. 473. http://books.google.com/books?id=T0ZEJ1dljhUC. 

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Phlegmasia alba dolens — Klassifikation nach ICD 10 O87.1 Tiefe Venenthrombose im Wochenbett I80.2 Thrombose, Phlebitis und Thrombophlebitis sonstiger tiefer Gefäße der unteren Extremitäten …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • phlegmasia alba dolens — phlegmasia al·ba do·lens al bə dō .lenz n MILK LEG * * * phlebitis of a femoral vein, occasionally following childbirth or an acute febrile illness; it is characterized by swelling of a lower limb, usually without redness. Called also… …   Medical dictionary

  • Phlegmasia coerulea dolens — Klassifikation nach ICD 10 I80.2 Thrombose, Phlebitis und Thrombophlebitis sonstiger tiefer Gefäße der unteren Extremitäten …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • phlegmasia alba dolens — см. Флебит белый болевой …   Большой медицинский словарь

  • phlegmasia alba dolens — see thrombophlebitis …   Medical dictionary

  • phlegmasia alba dolens — noun painful thrombosis of the femoral vein in the leg following childbirth • Syn: ↑milk leg, ↑white leg • Hypernyms: ↑thrombosis * * * ˈalbəˈdōˌlenz noun Etymology: New Latin, li …   Useful english dictionary

  • Флегмазия Белая Болевая (Phlegmasia Alba Dolens) — см. Тромбофлебит. Источник: Медицинский словарь …   Медицинские термины

  • dolens — see PHLEGMASIA ALBA DOLENS, PHLEGMASIA CERULEA DOLENS …   Medical dictionary

  • alba — SYN: white matter. [fem. of L. albus, white] * * * alba see CERA ALBA, LINEA ALBA, MATERIA ALBA, PHLEGMASIA ALBA DOL …   Medical dictionary

  • thrombotic phlegmasia — p. alba dolens …   Medical dictionary

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