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Family Medicine (Expert Forum)
KNEE AND CALF SWELLING
Questions in the Family Medicine forum are answered by Dr. J.M. Keyes. Topics covered include general health issues, adolescence, babies, child health, eating disorders, fitness, immunizations and vaccines, infectious diseases, medical tests and procedures, and senior health.
KNEE AND CALF SWELLING
by BLONDIE40, Nov 24, 2002 12:00AM
I HAVE HAD BEHIND KNEE AND CALF SWELLING FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS. I'VE HAD A DOPPLE STUDY DONE AND A LYMPH STUDY DONE AND THEY WERE BOTH NEGATIVE. THE SWELLING COMES AND GOES AND WELL AS THE PAIN. SOMETIMES MY LEG IS HOT. THERE IS NO PURPLE OR PITTING. THIS ONLY HAPPENS ON THE LEFT LEG. IT SEEMS TO GET WORSE WHEN I SIT. ANY ANSWERS?
Doctor's Answer
by Forum-M.D.-DT, Nov 24, 2002 12:00AM
Thank you for visiting the Family Practice Forum.
It sounds like you have had a doppler study to rule out a deep venous thrombosis ... good. I suspect they have checked the lymph nodes to see if there was any lymph node enlargement which could be causing problems with blood flow "from" the leg. Anything which blocks blood flow from the leg (i.e. from the leg back to the heart), can potentially cause swelling of the leg.
If you are overweight, this may be part of the problem.
Other possible causes for this leg and calf swelling may be superficial phlebitis, varicose veins and lymphedema.
For people with mild lymphedema, compression bandages can reduce the swelling. People who are more severely affected may wear pneumatic stockings every day for an hour or two to reduce the swelling. Once the swelling has been reduced, the person must wear elastic stockings up to the knee every day from the moment of rising until bedtime. This controls the swelling to some degree. Ask your doctor about these possibilities.
I hope this helps you!
It sounds like you have had a doppler study to rule out a deep venous thrombosis ... good. I suspect they have checked the lymph nodes to see if there was any lymph node enlargement which could be causing problems with blood flow "from" the leg. Anything which blocks blood flow from the leg (i.e. from the leg back to the heart), can potentially cause swelling of the leg.
If you are overweight, this may be part of the problem.
Other possible causes for this leg and calf swelling may be superficial phlebitis, varicose veins and lymphedema.
For people with mild lymphedema, compression bandages can reduce the swelling. People who are more severely affected may wear pneumatic stockings every day for an hour or two to reduce the swelling. Once the swelling has been reduced, the person must wear elastic stockings up to the knee every day from the moment of rising until bedtime. This controls the swelling to some degree. Ask your doctor about these possibilities.
I hope this helps you!
If you've had a Venous Doppler study to rule out DVT ( deep vein thrombosis) and it was negative ...surely they would have picked up something like..... A BAKER CYST.... This is a common finding of the symptoms you described ,however ...AGAIN ..if you've had that ultrasound test....certainly the tech would have noticed this...but you never know? It is ONE possibility.