Elephantiasis

In 1987 we noticed excess adipose tissue in a patient with arm lymphedema and later, objective studies confirmed this clinical finding in patients with non-pitting arm lymphedema following breast cancer. A prospective study was begun in 1993, and its long-term results (15 years) shows overall complete reduction of the excess volume in patients with non-pitting arm lymphedema and that adipose tissue dominates the excess volume. Encouraged by these results we operated on a patient with primary and secondary elephantiasis of the leg. The edema was first transferred from a pitting to a non-pitting state by controlled compression therapy. Then liposuction was performed to remove the remaining excess adipose tissue, and complete reduction was finally achieved. The patient wears compression garments continuously and during the 11 years of followup, no recurrence has occurred. This paper explains our philosophical approach: a pitting lymphedema first should be treated conservatively to remo...

Podoconiosis is one of the forgotten types of leg swelling (elephantiasis) in the tropics. Unlike the other, better-known types of leg swelling, podoconiosis is not caused by any parasite, virus or bacterium, but by an abnormal reaction to minerals found in the clay soils of some tropical highland areas. Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) have been responsible for the development of simple treatment methods without systematic evaluation of its effectiveness. It is essential that a large scale, fully controlled, pragmatic trial of the intervention is conducted. We aim to test the hypothesis that community-based treatment of podoconiosis lymphoedema reduces the frequency of acute dermatolymphangioadenitis episodes ('acute attacks') and improves other clinical, social and economic outcomes. This is a pragmatic, individually randomised controlled trial. We plan to randomly allocate 680 podoconiosis patients from the East Gojjam Zone in northern Ethiopia to one of two groups: ...

Elephantiasis is a symptom of a variety of diseases that is characterized by the thickening of the skin and underlying tissues, especially in the legs, male genitals and female breasts. Some conditions having this symptom include: Elephantiasis nostras, due to longstanding chronic lymphangitis; Elephantiasis tropica or lymphatic filariasis, caused by a number of parasitic worms, particularly Wuchereria bancrofti; non-filarial elephantiasis or podoconiosis, an immune disease caused by heavy metals affecting the lymph vessels; proteus syndrome, the genetic disorder of the so-called Elephant Man, etc. Podoconiosis is a type of lower limb tropical elephantiasis distinct from lymphatic filariasis. Lymphatic filariasis affects all population at risk, whereas podoconiosis predominantly affects barefoot subsistence farmers in areas with red volcanic soil. Ethiopia is one of the countries with the highest number of podoconiosis patients since many people are at risk to red-clay soil exposure...

AbstractPodoconiosis, a noninfectious elephantiasis, is a disabling neglected tropical disease. In August 2015, an elephantiasis case-cluster was reported in Kamwenge District, western Uganda. We investigated to identify the disease's nature and risk factors. We defined a suspected podoconiosis case as onset in a Kamwenge resident of bilateral asymmetrical lower limb swelling lasting ≥ 1 month, plus ≥ 1 of the following associated symptoms: skin itching, burning sensation, plantar edema, lymph ooze, prominent skin markings, rigid toes, or mossy papillomata. A probable case was a suspected case with negative microfilaria antigen immunochromatographic card test (ruling out filarial elephantiasis). We conducted active case-finding. In a case-control investigation, we tested the hypothesis that the disease was caused by prolonged foot skin exposure to irritant soils, using 40 probable case-persons and 80 asymptomatic village control-persons, individually matched by age and sex. We c...

To study the diagnostic significance of antifilarial IgG subclasses in the clinical spectrum of brugian filariasis, IgG1, IgG3 and IgG4 antifilarial antibodies were determined in an exposed population comprising 74 asymptomatic amicrofilaraemics, 30 microfilaraemics, 20 lymphangitis and 16 elephantiasis patients resident in Narathiwart province, an area endemic for Brugia malayi lymphatic filariasis in southern Thailand. The dominant isotype of antifilarial antibody was IgG4. A significantly higher percentage of individuals were positive for IgG1 in the microfilaraemic and lymphangitis groups compared with the elephantiasis and endemic normal patients, while a significantly higher positive rate of IgG3 was found in those with lymphangitis. The possible role of these isotypes for diagnostic purposes and the pattern of antibody response in various clinically manifesting groups are discussed.

AbstractPodoconiosis, a noninfectious elephantiasis, is a disabling neglected tropical disease. In August 2015, an elephantiasis case-cluster was reported in Kamwenge District, western Uganda. We investigated to identify the disease's nature and risk factors. We defined a suspected podoconiosis case as onset in a Kamwenge resident of bilateral asymmetrical lower limb swelling lasting ≥ 1 month, plus ≥ 1 of the following associated symptoms: skin itching, burning sensation, plantar edema, lymph ooze, prominent skin markings, rigid toes, or mossy papillomata. A probable case was a suspected case with negative microfilaria antigen immunochromatographic card test (ruling out filarial elephantiasis). We conducted active case-finding. In a case-control investigation, we tested the hypothesis that the disease was caused by prolonged foot skin exposure to irritant soils, using 40 probable case-persons and 80 asymptomatic village control-persons, individually matched by age and sex. We c...

Background: Because lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination efforts are hampered by a dearth of economic information about the cost of mass drug administration (MDA) programs (using either albendazole with diethylcarbamazine [DEC] or albendazole with ivermectin), a multicenter study was undertaken to determine the costs of MDA programs to interrupt transmission of infection with LF. Such results are particularly important because LF programs have the necessary diagnostic and treatment tools to eliminate the disease as a public health problem globally, and already by 2006, the Global Programme to Eliminate LF had initiated treatment programs covering over 400 million of the 1.3 billion people at risk. Methodology/Principal Findings: To obtain annual costs to carry out the MDA strategy, researchers from seven countries

In 1987 we noticed excess adipose tissue in a patient with arm lymphedema and later, objective studies confirmed this clinical finding in patients with non-pitting arm lymphedema following breast cancer. A prospective study was begun in 1993, and its long-term results (15 years) shows overall complete reduction of the excess volume in patients with non-pitting arm lymphedema and that adipose tissue dominates the excess volume. Encouraged by these results we operated on a patient with primary and secondary elephantiasis of the leg. The edema was first transferred from a pitting to a non-pitting state by controlled compression therapy. Then liposuction was performed to remove the remaining excess adipose tissue, and complete reduction was finally achieved. The patient wears compression garments continuously and during the 11 years of followup, no recurrence has occurred. This paper explains our philosophical approach: a pitting lymphedema first should be treated conservatively to remo...

Background: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) caused by filarial parasites can lead to complication like swollen legs with rough thickened skin, known as elephantiasis. A study of mapping of LF by observation of elephantiasis in five Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Enugu State. Aim: The study was to determine the prevalence of elephantiasis according to gender, age and occupation and to develop map of LF prevalence in Enugu State, Southeastern Nigeria. Study Design: The study was a cross-sectional survey of the studied population for elephantiasis. A total of 349 persons aged 15 years and above, participated in the study. The study was conducted between January and May, 2018 and the participants were selected through systemic sampling technique.
Materials and Methods: Physical examination of individuals was employed to determine elephantiasis. Geographic Information System (GIS) was used for mapping.
Results: A total of 4.9% (17) prevalence of elephantiasis was recorded. Females had highest prevalence, 8.3% (13) against 2.1% (4) in males. There was significant association between elephantiasis and gender (X 2 = 7.158, df = 1, p = 0.007, (p < 0.05)). Age group 45-54 years had the highest prevalence of 12.3% (7) while no case was observed in age groups 15-24 years, 25-34 years and 35 – 44 years. There was significant association between elephantiasis and age (X2 = 13.934, df = 5, p = 0.016, (p < 0.05)). Artisans with a prevalence of 11.4% (4) had the highest prevalence, while no case was reported in students, civil servants and carpentry occupation groups. There was no significant association between elephantiasis and occupation (X2 = 4.917, df = 5, p = 0.426, p > 0.05)). Nkanu East (Onichagu) had the highest prevalence with 5 cases (9.1%) while Awgu (Ibite) had the least with 3 cases (3.0%).
Conclusion: People living with LF morbidity are in the study area. The State Ministry of Health and
Partners should develop morbidity management activities that will alleviate the burden of
elephantiasis.

Several studies have suggested investigation of health beliefs in children to be an important pre-condition for primary prevention of disease. However, little effort has been made to understand these in the context of podoconiosis. This study therefore aimed to explore the health beliefs of school-age rural children in podoconiosis-affected families. A cross sectional qualitative study was conducted in March 2016 in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs), with a total of one hundred seventeen 9 to15-year-old children recruited from podoconiosis affected families. The study revealed various misconceptions regarding risk factors for podoconiosis. Most children believed barefoot exposure to dew, worms, snake bite, frog urine, other forms of poison, and contact with affected people to be major causes of the disease. Their knowledge about the role of heredity and that of long term barefoot expo...

Similar HLA association was found in patients with elephantiasis in Sri Lankans and Southern Indians. HLA-B15 was observed in 13/44 (30%) Sri Lankan patients with elephantiasis compared to 1/27 (4%) Sri Lankan controls (p = .0058; RR = 10.9) and in 5/8 (28%) Southern Indian elephantiasis compared to 10/101 (10%) Southern Indian controls (p = 0.04; RR = 3.5). In combining the data, the significance of the difference of the frequency of B15 between patients with elephantiasis and controls was even more marked (p = 0.00045; corrected p = 0.012; RR = 4.4).

Podoconiosis is one of the few diseases that could potentially be eliminated within one generation. Nonetheless, the global distribution of the disease remains largely unknown. The global atlas of podoconiosis was conceived to define the epidemiology and distribution of podoconiosis through dedicated surveys and assembling the available epidemiological data. We have synthesized the published literature on the epidemiology of podoconiosis. Through systematic searches in SCOPUS and MEDLINE from inception to February 14, 2018, we identified observational and population-based studies reporting podoconiosis. To establish existence of podoconiosis, we used case reports and presence data. For a study to be included in the prevalence synthesis, it needed to be a population-based survey that involved all residents within a specific area. Studies that did not report original data were excluded. We undertook descriptive analyses of the extracted data. This study is registered with PROSPERO, nu...

Elephantiasis is a symptom of a variety of diseases that is characterized by the thickening of the skin and underlying tissues, especially in the legs, male genitals and female breasts. Some conditions having this symptom include: Elephantiasis nostras, due to longstanding chronic lymphangitis; Elephantiasis tropica or lymphatic filariasis, caused by a number of parasitic worms, particularly Wuchereria bancrofti; non-filarial elephantiasis or podoconiosis, an immune disease caused by heavy metals affecting the lymph vessels; proteus syndrome, the genetic disorder of the so-called Elephant Man, etc. Podoconiosis is a type of lower limb tropical elephantiasis distinct from lymphatic filariasis. Lymphatic filariasis affects all population at risk, whereas podoconiosis predominantly affects barefoot subsistence farmers in areas with red volcanic soil. Ethiopia is one of the countries with the highest number of podoconiosis patients since many people are at risk to red-clay soil exposure...