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Elephantiasis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elephantiasis
Elephantiasis of the legs due to filariasis.
SpecialtyInfectious disease, general surgery
SymptomsSwelling of the skin

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

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Some conditions that present with elephantiasis include:

Other causes may include:

Other diseases, such as the rare Klippel–Trénaunay syndrome, can initially be misdiagnosed as elephantiasis.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Definition of ELEPHANTIASIS". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "elephantiasis", The Free Dictionary, retrieved 2018-06-28
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Lymphedema". National Cancer Institute. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
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