The four cardinal signs of inflammation are redness (Latin rubor), heat (calor), swelling (tumor), and pain (dolor).
- Redness is caused by the dilation of small blood vessels in the area of injury.
- Heat results from increased blood flow through the area and is experienced only in peripheral parts of the body such as the skin. Fever is brought about by chemical mediators of inflammation and contributes to the rise in temperature at the injury.
- Swelling, called edema, is caused primarily by the accumulation of fluid outside the blood vessels.
- The pain associated with inflammation results in part from the distortion of tissues caused by edema, and it also is induced by certain chemical mediators of inflammation, such as bradykinin, serotonin, and the prostaglandins.