[A special case of swollen lower limb]

We report on a case of a 31-year-old patient suffering from long-standing peripheral edema with severe hypoalbuminemia, but without proteinuria. Differential diagnosis, diagnostic work-up and the therapeutic options in this unusual case are discussed. The general practitioner must keep in mind a broad range of causes when seeing every-day-patients with peripheral edema, although the correct etiology can be found easily in most cases.