What are the stages of lymphedema?

A stage on a lymphedema form is a single word that stands for a whole description. This desk read the published wording behind the first two stages one sentence at a time.

What the first stage says

For the first stage, my.clevelandclinic.org writes: "There may be occasional swelling that goes away when you elevate the affected area." Two details define it. The swelling is "occasional", and it "goes away" when the area is raised. "May" means the swelling is not always present at this stage.

What the second stage says

For the second stage, the source continues: "The affected area is almost always swollen and your skin in the area may feel firmer than the surrounding area." The change from occasional to "almost always" is the dividing line. The firmer skin is a "may", so it is possible and not required.

What the wording leaves open

The passage printed here covers only the first two stages. It does not describe any later stage. It does not say who assigns a stage or what test is used, and it gives no timeline for moving from one stage to the next.

What to ask before you sign

Ask which stage your form lists and which written description it matches. Ask whether the stage was assigned by examination or estimated from your history. Ask what the form says would change the stage.

Some of the terms nearby are covered by background pages on venous insufficiency, stasis dermatitis and ulcers, chronic venous insufficiency, and compression stockings.

What the paperwork cannot tell you

A stage description cannot tell a reader in Oak Lawn which stage their own leg is in. That is a question for the clinician who examines it.