Lymphedema Pathophysiology & Staging Flashcards
6 cards from real CLT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Lymphedema Pathophysiology & Staging flashcards as text
Elephantiasis is associated with which stage of lymphedema?
Answer: Stage III
ISL Stage III (lymphostatic elephantiasis) features massive limb enlargement with skin changes including papillomas, lobules, and acanthosis.
The most common cause of secondary lymphedema worldwide is:
Answer: Filariasis (parasitic infection)
Lymphatic filariasis caused by Wuchereria bancrofti is the most common cause of secondary lymphedema globally, though cancer treatment is the leading cause in the US.
What is the 'safety valve' of the lymphatic system?
Answer: The lymphatic system's reserve capacity to handle excess fluid beyond normal load
The safety valve refers to the lymphatic system's ability to increase flow by 10–20 times above baseline when interstitial fluid accumulates.
Dynamic insufficiency of the lymphatic system means:
Answer: The lymphatic transport capacity is normal but the lymphatic load is too high
Dynamic insufficiency occurs when normal lymphatic transport capacity cannot keep up with an abnormally high lymphatic load, as in heart failure or severe hypoproteinemia.
Mechanical insufficiency of the lymphatic system means:
Answer: The lymphatic transport capacity is reduced below the normal load level
Mechanical insufficiency occurs when lymphatic transport capacity is reduced (e.g., by node removal) so it can no longer handle even a normal lymphatic load.
Lymphorrhea is defined as:
Answer: Leakage of lymph fluid through the skin surface
Lymphorrhea is the leakage of protein-rich lymph fluid through the skin, often through blisters or wounds in severely edematous limbs.