About Lymphedema Lymphedema is a specific type of edema resulting from the accumulation of macromolecules and fluids in the interstitial and cellular space caused by failure in lymph formation and drainage.

What causes lymphedema?
Lymphedema can have congenital causes (classified as primary) and acquired causes (classified as secondary). Patients who have congenital (primary) abnormalities may or may not develop lymphedema during their lifetime, but are born with a chance of having. In secondary lymphedema, they are born normal and have no genetic predispositions to have it, but some aggression has been done in your lymphatic system during your life, such as trauma, filariasis, erysipelas, cancer, etc. which triggered edema.