The outpatient with unilateral leg swelling

Approaching the patient with unilateral leg swelling presents a challenge to the physician in ambulatory practice. Contributing to the difficulty is the lack of studies that have assessed a population of patients presenting with unilateral leg swelling. The purpose of this article is to discuss unilateral leg swelling with respect to the chronicity of the presentation and the most common differential diagnoses based on a review of the current literature and personal clinical experience.