Which description best defines pitting edema?

Which description best defines pitting edema?

• A. Swollen skin that leaves an indentation when pressed.
• B. Edema that does not indent with pressure.
• C. Swelling due to increased capillary permeability only.
• D. Edema with hard, nonpitting surface.

Answer: (A)

The sign being tested is how the swelling responds to pressure. Pitting edema is when interstitial fluid is so excess and mobile that pressing on the swollen area with a finger leaves a dent, a pit, that persists briefly after you release. The pit forms because the fluid is displaced by the pressure and then slowly refills as fluid redistributes, so you can still see the indentation for a moment. If there’s swelling but no indentation after pressing, that’s non-pitting edema, which often comes from firmer, fibrous changes or lymphatic obstruction. Describing edema as due to increased capillary permeability captures a mechanism, not the physical exam sign itself, so it doesn’t define pitting edema. A hard, nonpitting surface also points to non-pitting edema rather than the easily indented form.

The sign being tested is how the swelling responds to pressure. Pitting edema is when interstitial fluid is so excess and mobile that pressing on the swollen area with a finger leaves a dent, a pit, that persists briefly after you release. The pit forms because the fluid is displaced by the pressure and then slowly refills as fluid redistributes, so you can still see the indentation for a moment.

If there’s swelling but no indentation after pressing, that’s non-pitting edema, which often comes from firmer, fibrous changes or lymphatic obstruction. Describing edema as due to increased capillary permeability captures a mechanism, not the physical exam sign itself, so it doesn’t define pitting edema. A hard, nonpitting surface also points to non-pitting edema rather than the easily indented form.