Elephantiasis
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Elephantiasis, often incorrectly called elephantitis, is the enlargement and hardening of limbs or body parts due to tissue swelling (edema).[1][2] It is characterised by edema, hypertrophy, and fibrosis of skin and subcutaneous tissues, due to obstruction of lymphatic vessels (lymphedema).[2] It may affect the genitalia.[2] The term elephantiasis is often used in reference to symptoms caused by parasitic worm infections,[1][2] but may refer to a variety of diseases that swell parts of the subject's body to exceptionally massive proportions.[2]
Cause
Some conditions that present with elephantiasis include the following:
- Elephantiasis nostras, due to longstanding chronic lymphangitis.[citation needed]
- Elephantiasis tropica (known as lymphatic filariasis), caused by a number of parasitic nematode worms, particularly Wuchereria bancrofti. More than 120 million people, mostly in Africa and Southeast Asia, are affected.[3]
- Nonfilarial elephantiasis (or podoconiosis), an immune disease affecting the lymph vessels[citation needed]
- Leishmaniasis[2]
- Elephantiasis, Grade 3 lymphedema, which may occur in people with breast cancer[4]
- Genital elephantiasis, result of lymphogranuloma venereum[citation needed]
- Proteus syndrome, a genetic disorder best known as the condition possibly experienced by Joseph Merrick, the so-called Elephant Man[citation needed]
Other causes may include the following:
- Repeated streptococcal infection[2]
- Lymphadenectomy[2]
- Hereditary birth defects[2]
- Pretibial myxedema
Other diseases, such as the rare Klippel–Trénaunay syndrome, can initially be misdiagnosed as elephantiasis.
Elephantiasis may have been the skin condition suffered by Biblical character Job.[5]
References
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- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Definition of ELEPHANTIASIS". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."elephantiasis", The Free Dictionary, retrieved 2018-06-28
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Carlson, Emily (27 March 2013). "Taking the 'Bite' Out of Vector-Borne Diseases - Inside Life Science Series - National Institute of General Medical Sciences". publications.nigms.nih.gov. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Lymphedema". National Cancer Institute. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- ^ https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/J/jobs-disease.html
External links
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- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Lymphatic filariasis". World Health Organization. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
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