For other uses, see swelling.

In medicine, swelling is the enlargement of organs caused by accumulation of excess fluid in tissues, called edema.

It can occur throughout the body (generalized), or only some part or organ is affected (localized).

It is considered one of the five characteristics of inflammation.

In a general sense, the suffix "-megaly" is used to indicate a growth, as in hepatomegaly, acromegaly, and splenomegaly.

External links

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• NIH/Medline
• University of Michigan