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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffLymphedema in your arm or leg can lead to serious complications, such as:
- Infections. Lymphedema makes your affected arm or leg particularly vulnerable to infections, including cellulitis and lymphangitis. Any injury to your arm or leg provides an entry point for an infection.
- Elephantiasis. This condition occurs when your arm or leg becomes so hardened with thickened skin that you have difficulty moving it. Elephantiasis may make the skin on your arm or leg very weak, leading to chronic ulcers and repeated infections.
- Lymphangiosarcoma. This rare form of soft tissue cancer can result from the most severe cases of untreated lymphedema. Lymphangiosarcoma originates in the lymph nodes and lymph vessels.
