Lymphedema
Type: Symptom
Definition
Massive, localized fluid retention and tissue swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system.
Clinical Details
Adult worms residing in the lymphatic afferent vessels provoke chronic dilation, valvular incompetence, and eventual fibrotic obstruction of the lymphatic flow. This prevents interstitial fluid from draining properly, causing irreversible, gravity-dependent swelling, predominantly in the lower extremities. In its most advanced and disfiguring form, this hard, thickened tissue condition is known as elephantiasis.