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Elephantitis is a disease caused by blockages in the lymphatic system, often due to a parasitic infection. It causes abnormal swelling in the extremities and can lead to skin infections. Prevention measures include wearing shoes and providing clean water, while treatment involves antiparasitic medications and compression garments.
Elephantitis, more properly elephantiasis, is a disease in which the extremities become abnormally enlarged due to blockages in the lymphatic system. The misspelling “elephantitis” is common, as people may misunderstand the name of this disease and use the ending “-itis” because they know it is caused by infection and inflammation. Treatments are available for this condition, and there are also preventative measures people can take to limit the chances of developing it in the first place.
In people with elephantitis, an infection with a parasitic worm that lives in the lymphatic system leads to blockages developing, forcing fluid to build up in the extremities. Filariasis, a parasitic infection endemic to the tropics, is a common cause. The slowing of lymphatic circulation is also associated with an increased susceptibility to skin infections, complicated by skin folds that develop in patients with advanced cases; organisms can start living in the warm, dark folds. This leads to thickening of the skin and can cause itchy or painful lesions to appear.
The swelling in patients with elephantitis can be extreme in some cases and can involve the arms, legs and genitals. It happens over a long period of time and can cause considerable inconvenience. Fitting clothing can be difficult and patients are even shunned at times by members of their communities due to their unusual appearance. While elephantitis is not contagious, in some areas people believe that contact with people who have the disease is dangerous or unfortunate.
Providing antiparasitic medications for infections as soon as they are identified can help prevent or stop this condition from starting. For cases where mild swelling has begun to develop, it may be helpful to use compression garments and massage to free up lymphatic circulation. Keeping the skin clean and dry, even if it is very swollen, is also important to limit the development and spread of the infection. With early management, people can recover from the disease without ill effects.
Prevention campaigns attack the parasitic infections known to cause this disease from different angles. Simple measures like encouraging people to wear shoes and providing sources of clean drinking water can dramatically reduce infections, as can eliminating sources of standing water and keeping communities cleaner. These measures have drastically reduced the rate of parasitic diseases and complications like this condition in many regions of the developing world. International health agencies have been instrumental in this process.
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