<p>Childhood lymphoedema is a relatively rare condition, uncommon outside of specialist clinics, but which has a significant effect on the affected individual and the family. As a lifelong condition with, at present, no cure, management of the condition by dedicated lymphoedema therapists is of paramount importance. Increasingly, the underlying molecular genetic cause of some forms of childhood lymphoedema are being elucidated, which has lead to a more precise diagnosis and may, in the future, lead to novel treatments. This paper describes the ways in which the condition may present, ways it can be investigated and the current forms of management.</p>