The following symptoms and complaints may occur together with calf swelling:
Leading symptom
- Calf swelling
Associated symptoms
- Pain
- Fever
- Redness of the skin
- Functional limitation of the leg
- Ankle swelling
- Limitation of the physical resilience
Warning signs (red flags)
- Anamnestic information:
- Long-haul flight, immobilization under plaster, after surgery (operation) or after prolonged travel → think of: deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
- Pain like “kick in the calf” → think of: Torn muscle fiber; here should also be a check for Achilles tendon rupture (tear) (see below).
- Pain + hyperthermia → think of: deep vein thrombosis Cave (Attention)! The symptomatology of deep vein thrombosis can be very non-specific. In the case of deep vein thrombosis without an identifiable cause, a malignancy should be ruled out causally!
- Dent above the heel palpable + toe stance is not possible → think of: Achilles tendon rupture (tear).
- Recurrent (recurring) pain in the back of the knee and in the back upper calf area + restriction of mobility (flexion) → think of: ruptured Baker’s cyst (popliteal: belonging to the back of the knee); popliteal cyst) (here: diffuse swelling of the entire calf).
