Edema Edema Edema, also spelled oedema or œdema, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the interstitium, located beneath the skin and in the cavities of the body, which can cause severe pain. Clinically, edema manifests as swelling. The amount of interstitial fluid is determined by the balance of fluid homeostasis and the increased secretion of fluid into the interstitium. The word is from Greek "oídēma" meaning "swelling". The condition is also known (mostly archaic) as dropsy. Cutaneous edema is referred to as "pitting" when, after pressure is applied to a small area, the indentation persists after the release of the
Cerebral edema cells themselves. While not all patients who have experienced a stroke will develop a severe edema, those who do have a very poor prognosis. In most instances, cytotoxic and vasogenic edema occur together. It is generally accepted that cytotoxic edema is dominant immediately following an injury or infarct, but gives way to a vasogenic edema that can persist for several days or longer. The use of specific MRI techniques has allowed for some differentiation between the two mechanisms and suggests that in the case of trauma, the cytotoxic response dominates Normally, the osmolality of cerebral-spinal fluid (CSF) and extracellular fluid