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Elephantitis

Elephantitis. Becca Butts & Taylor Cooper. What Is Elephantitis ?. A disease that is characterized by the thickening of the skin and underlying tissues, especially in the legs and male genitals. In Medical Terms….

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Elephantitis

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  1. Elephantitis Becca Butts & Taylor Cooper

  2. What Is Elephantitis? A disease that is characterized by the thickening of the skin and underlying tissues, especially in the legs and male genitals.

  3. In Medical Terms… Elephantiasis, or Lymphatic Filariasis, is a rare disorder of the lymphatic system caused by parasitic worms such as Wuchereriabancrofti, Brugiamalayi, and B. timori, all of which are transmitted by mosquitoes.

  4. Symptoms In many cases, symptoms of elephantiasis do not appear until years after infection. As the parasites accumulate in the blood vessels, they can restrict circulation and cause fluid to build up in surrounding tissues. Symptoms can appear 5-18 months after a mosquito bite.

  5. Symptoms of acute infection of elephantiasis are: Blocked lymph ducts Brawny skin color  Enlarged groin lymph nodes Fever Massive leg swelling  Massively swollen genitalia and breasts Pain above testicles Pebbly skin appearance  Severe swelling  Skin ulceration  Swollen liver  Swollen spleen  Thickened skin tissue  White urinary discharge

  6. How Do You Get Elephantitis? Caused by several different types of parasitic worms, including Wuchereriabancrofti, Brugiamalayi, and B. timori. Caused by obstruction of the lymphatic system, which results in the accumulation of a fluid called lymph in the affected areas.

  7. How Do You Get Elephantitis Cont. Transmitted by female mosquitoes. When an infected female mosquito bites a person, she may inject the worm into the bloodstream. The worm reproduces and spread throughout the bloodstream.

  8. Treaments! Treated with medication designed to kill the parasite. DEC kills the microfilariae quickly and injures or kills the adult worms slowly, if at all. Surgery for massive leg swelling with a fluid shunting procedure. Pressure bandages to wrap the swollen limb and elastic stockings to help reduce the pressure. Exercising and elevating a bandaged limb also can help reduce its size.

  9. Prevention If possible, stay inside between dusk and dark. This is when mosquitoes are most active in their search for food. When outside, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Spray exposed skin with an insect repellent. Pretty much stay away from misqutios

  10. Random Fact Almost 120 million people worldwide are affected by Elephantiasis, about a third of which are in India .

  11. Random Fact Blocking of the lymph channels and elephantiasis can also result from lymphogranulomavenereum, a sexually transmitted disease.

  12. Random Fact The most widespread worm is Wuchereriabancrofti, which affects about 100 million people in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, the Pacific islands, South America, and the Caribbean.

  13. Sources http://www.dhpe.org/infect/lymphfil.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephantiasis http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Elephantitis.

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