[Artificial edema of the extremity]

Our report describes a 46-year-old woman with self-inflicted oedema of the left leg and the left arm. She induced leg oedema by an elastic bandage tourniquet and arm oedema by holding her arm dependent and immobile. A preexisting disorder of the affected leg (postthrombotic syndrome) and of the affected arm (hypoesthesia subsequent to surgical injury of the plexus brachialis) delayed the diagnostic proceedings. Our case report shows that: Confirmed presence of organic disease does not exclude limb oedema of self-inflicted origin. Oedema resulting from a tourniquet and "hysterical oedema" can be developed by one and the same patient. Effective care of such patients is only possible if dermatologist and psychiatrist work together all the time (liaison psychiatry).