Lymphedema in the arm.

[barney22]

Hi everyone I don't know if any of you have had this problem. My Cousin was in a car crash badly breaking both arms. She has metal plates in both arms

In one of them she has a large lump of about 10 inches long and 4 deep hanging down. Could it be Lymphedema.

[AnneBury]

That sounds a bit like a lipoma (fatty lump which can get very large, my sister had one on her arm and eventually it was cut out).

[Jennymary]

Firstly I hope your cousin is on the mend, it may worth a visit to GP just for reassurance, I wish you both well x

[Bijingo]

Hi Barney - trauma can cause lymphoedema. But, if her injuries are recent, there may just be swelling related to the trauma - and hopefully it will improve slowly. How long since her injuries? Has she got a therapist/doctor who can help work out what is going on?

[barney22 in reply to Bijingo]

Its at least 20 years since the accident but she has had this awful"swelling" for about 17 years. Her Doctor said this happens when people have been or are obese. She isn't nor never had been obese.

[Bijingo in reply to barney22]

Has she had any treatment for the swelling? Can she find a local lymphoedema therapist to get advice from? The Lymphoedema Support Network should be able to direct her to a therapist. The trouble with lymphoedema is that it is under-diagnosed. Your sister may not have lymphoedema - but if she wants to do something about the swelling, she needs to see someone who can work out what is going on and see if something can be done. Not all doctors know what to do - or even what lymphoedema is (sad but true). And it is a complex condition. For chronic swelling, a therapist may trial some bandaging to help reduce the size of the swelling - this needs to be done by someone who is trained in CDT (complete decongestive therapy) or CLT (complex lymphoedema therapy/treatment). Also, if it is true lymphoedema, this is a serious condition which can increase the chance of cellulitis in her arm. Has she had cellulitis? Lymphoedema is a chronic collection of lymph/high protein oedema, which creates a great environment for bacteria to thrive - so it's important to get a correct diagnosis and the best treatment available - to stay healthy, or improve health. Once treated, most people need to continue a life-long course of exercises, skin care, self-massage and probably wear a compression garment/sleeve. Feel free to ask more questions - but my best advice is, either see a doctor who knows something about lymphoedema, or seek out a CLT Lymphoedema Therapist.

[Mikefzscorp]

It's possible that during the metal plate implant procedure some major lymphatic channels got cut off or damaged permanently, thus causing the accumulation of fluid in her extremity.