Phlegmasia alba dolens

Phlegmasia alba dolens (Greek phlegmasia inflammation, fever; Latin albus white; Latin dolere pain ), also called " milk leg " or "white leg tumor ," is a thrombosis of the veins usually in the pelvis and upper thigh with swelling, severe tenderness and waxy pallor of the affected limb as well as frequent fever.

Main cause of phlegmasia alba dolens is a massive thrombosis of the deep conducting veins of a limb, which leads to an impairment of the venous return of blood. In contrast to phlegmasia caerulea dolens but the collateral veins are not or only slightly affected, so that the return flow of blood, although more difficult, but it is not canceled. The pallor is caused by a disruption also of arterial inflow of blood, their cause is not understood. Discussed shock episodes, increased vascular resistance, collapse of arterioles due to increased pressure in the tissue and vascular spasm.

Risk factors for thrombosis are cancer ( 20-40 % of patients), bleeding disorders, surgery or injury and inflammation in question, approximately 10% of patients with a phlegmasia, however, have none of these factors. Especially phlegmasia alba dolens is often associated with pregnancy ( especially in the third trimester ) and the puerperium ( especially at a parametritis puerperal ).

Treatment course see: vein thrombosis

Swell

• Disease in angiology
• Disease in emergency medicine
• Disease in vascular surgery