Calabar swelling /kal″əbär/ [Calabar, a Nigerian seaport] , a localized angioedema and erythema usually on the extremities, characterized by migratory, swollen lumps of subcutaneous tissue caused by a parasitic filarial worm (Loa) endemic to Central and West Africa. The swollen areas move with the worm through the body at a speed of about 1 cm per minute and may become as large as a small egg. Kinds include Loa loa. See also loiasis.
