• Edema is the presence of excess fluid in the

intercellular space.
Terms Used to Describe the Pathology of
Edema
• Effusion: excess fluid in body cavities (e.g.,
peritoneum or pleura)
• Transudate: edema fluid with low protein content
• Exudate: edema fluid with high protein content;
appears early in mild injuries; may contain
inflammatory cells
• Serous exudate or effusion: has a strawlike
color; contains few cells.
• Serosanguinous exudate: contains red blood
cells and has a reddish tinge.
• Fibrinous exudate: contains large amounts of
fibrin as result of coagulation activation.
• Purulent exudate or effusion: often associated
with pyogenic bacterial infections and contains
large numbers of neutrophils(polymorphonuclear
leukocytes).
• Suppurative inflammation: purulent exudate with
significant liquefactive necrosis (pus
accumulation).
 Causes of Edema
A. Inflammatory
Edema:are largely
related to
increased vascular
permeability.
 B. Non-inflammatory Edema
• Increased hydrostatic pressure causes edema in
congestive heart failure (generalized edema),
portal hypertension, renal retention of salt and
water, and venous thrombosis (local edema).
• Hypoalbuminemia and decreased colloid osmoti
c pressure cause edema in liver
disease,nephrotic syndrome, and protein
deficiency (e.g., kwashiorkor).
• Lymphatic obstruction (lymph edema) causes
edema in tumor, following surgical removal of
lymph node drainage, and in parasitic infestation
(filariasis →elephantiasis).
• Increased endothelial permeability causes
edema in inflammation, type I hypersensitivity
reactions, and with some drugs (e.g.,bleomycin,
heroin, etc.).
• Increased interstitial sodium causes edema
when there is increased sodium intake, primary
hyperaldosteronism, and renal failure.
• Specialized forms of tissue swelling due to
increased extracellular glycosaminoglycans also
occur, notably in pretibial myxedema and
exophthalmos (Graves disease).