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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
- Elephantiasis tropica (known as lymphatic filariasis), caused by a number of parasitic 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 vesselsScript error: No such module "Unsubst".
- Leishmaniasis[2]
- Elephantiasis, Grade 3 lymphedema, which may occur in people with breast cancer[4]
- Genital elephantiasis, result of lymphogranuloma venereumScript error: No such module "Unsubst".
- Proteus syndrome, a genetic disorder best known as the condition possibly experienced by Joseph Merrick, the so-called Elephant ManScript error: No such module "Unsubst".
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.
References
External links
- Template:Cite EB9
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