RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Left-Sided Leg Edema Of The Elderly: A Common Variant Of The Iliac Compression Syndrome
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Practice
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 1
OP 4
DO 10.3122/jabfm.6.1.1
VO 6
IS 1
A1 Philip D. Sloane
A1 Ruth Baldwin
A1 Royce Montgomery
A1 Franklin Hargett
A1 Abraham Hartzema
YR 1993
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/6/1/1.abstract
AB Background: Anatomically, the right common iliac artery crosses the left iliac vein and its accompanying lymphatics. We hypothesized that this situation could lead to a predominance of edema, telangiectasis, and venous varicosities on the left lower extremities of older persons. Methods: To test this hypothesis, a research assistant who was blinded to the study goals examined 215 predominantly elderly residents of North Carolina homes for the aged and disabled. Results: Among these subjects, 17.7 percent had predominantly left-sided edema, and 5.7 percent had predominantly right-sided edema (P < 0.001). When the 88 subjects with pitting edema greater than 3 mm were studied, 34.5 percent showed a left-sided predominance, and 6.9 percent showed a right-sided predominance (P < 0.001). In contrast, no significant difference was found in the lateralization of venous varicosities or of telangiectasis. Conclusions: Asymmetric edema is common and is usually left-sided in older persons. Compression of the left common iliac vein and its accompanying lymphatics by the right iliac artery, rather than overt clinical disease, might explain the majority of asymmetric edema seen in clinical practice.