Idiopathic oedema of women

Abstract

Idiopathic oedema is an unsatisfactory label that is applied to women who complain of swelling, typically variable, with diagnosis requiring exclusion of known causes of oedema and (most authors would agree) demonstration of weight gain, from morning to evening, of more than 1.4 kg. The cause of idiopathic oedema is (by definition) unknown: hypotheses include abnormal capillary permeability/leakage, re-feeding oedema, and diuretic-induced oedema. There is no clear relationship to the menstrual cycle. Even if not a primary cause, the use and abuse of diuretics can complicate and exacerbate the problem....