$Unique_ID{BRK02022}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{"Milk Leg" or Phlegmasia Albans Dolens as a Hazard of Pregnancy}
$Subject{Milk Leg phlegmasia albans dolens pregnancy blood clot blood clots
iliofemoral thrombophlebitis thrombosis pulmonary embolism embolisms}
$Volume{}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1993  Tribune Media Services, Inc.


"Milk Leg" or Phlegmasia Albans Dolens as a Hazard of Pregnancy


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QUESTION:  While going through the 1880 census records in Hart County,
Georgia, I discovered an aunt of mine; she was 32 years old at the time.  One
column on the census records asks the condition of your health.  Besides her
name was the phrase "Milk Leg".  Can you tell me what kind of problem that was
back in 1880?  Thank you.

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ANSWER:  A major problem associated with pregnancy back in 1880, and still an
important concern today, "Milk-Leg" was the common name for "phlegmasia albans
dolens".  Translated into people terms it means "a swollen painful white leg".
Phlegmasia really indicates an inflammation; dolens translates as pain, and
albans means white.  The condition is the result of a blood clot forming in
the deep veins of the leg, but back then they mistakenly believed that,
somehow, the mother's milk had found its way into the leg veins.  A more
acceptable term for modern day docs is "iliofemoral thrombophlebitis", as it
is the iliofemoral vein that is affected.  When the returning flow of blood
from the leg is obstructed by the clot (thrombosis), the leg becomes very
swollen and painful.
     This serious condition requires intense medical treatment, for a
complication of this type thrombophlebitis occurs when a piece of the clot
breaks off and makes its way to the blood supply of the lung (embolism) and
causes a pulmonary embolism.  This condition, which damages the tissues of the
lung and reduces the oxygen flow through the lungs to the blood stream, can be
fatal.  Even today, pulmonary embolism remains a leading cause of death in
women during the period after delivery.
     Since you seem interested in your family roots, perhaps you can determine
if your aunt had a child in 1880, or there abouts, and trace the relationship
to today.  Another interesting bit of research would be to determine if any
other women members of this extended family also experienced thrombophlebitis
after pregnancy, as some research seems to indicate that this condition may
occur more frequently in some families.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.