Pitted edema is tested by pressing & holding your finger into the swollen tissue over a bony area for 5 seconds. If there is an indentation left behind when you remove your finger it is pitted edema. To classify the pitted edema you measure the depth of pitting & compare the measurement to the following scale; +1 = 2mm of pitting +2 = 4mm of pitting +3 = 6mm of pitting +4 = 8mm of pitting