Also called: Lymphatic obstruction
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Lymphedema
Lymphedema is the name of a type of swelling. It happens when lymph builds up in your body's soft tissues. Lymph is a fluid that contains white blood cells that defend against germs. It can build up when the lymph system is damaged or blocked. It usually happens in the arms or legs.
Causes of lymphedema include:
- Infection
- Cancer
- Scar tissue from radiation therapy or surgical removal of lymph nodes
- Inherited conditions in which lymph nodes or vessels are absent or abnormal
Treatment can help control symptoms. It includes exercise, compression devices, skin care, and massage.
It sits within Blood, Heart and Circulation and Immune System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Cancer Institute.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Lymphedema
700 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Reversing External-beam Radiotherapy-associated Fibrosis Syndrome: an Interventional Bayesian Adaptive Randomized-controlled Orphan Drug Platform Trial for Orodental Sequelae (Reverse-fibrose)M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
- Aerobic Exercise Effects in Lower Extremity LymphedemaBursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital
- A Prospective Natural History Study of Lymphatic AnomaliesEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
- Effects of Visual-Feedback Induced Therapy and Active Release Technique on Shoulder Pain, Lymphedema, and Functional Disability in Post-Mastectomy Patients.Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences
- An Investigational Surgical Procedure (Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer) in Reducing the Risk of Lymphedema in Patients With Breast Cancer Undergoing Breast ReconstructionM.D. Anderson Cancer Center
- Boosted Compression for Lower Limb Chronic EdemaUniversiteit Antwerpen
Research already completed
- Aerobic Training in Lower Extremity LymphedemaBezmialem Vakif University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Guide to Understanding LymphedemaLiving Beyond Breast Cancer
- LymphedemaNational Cancer Institute
- LymphedemaLymphatic Education & Research Network
- LymphedemaMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Diagnosis and Tests
- LymphoscintigraphyRadiological Society of North America
Treatments and Therapies
- How Is Lymphedema Treated?National Cancer Institute
Related Issues
- About Lymphatic FilariasisCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Genetics
- Hennekam syndrome: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
- Lymphedema-distichiasis syndrome: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
- Meige disease: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: LymphedemaNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Lymphedema. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Lymphedema, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.