What is elephantiasis?
Elephantiasis is a disease in which there is massive swelling of tissue. Typically, the term is used for the final stage of a chronic lymphedema disease. In this case, disturbances in the transport of lymph (tissue fluid) lead to the permanent formation of edema (fluid deposits in the tissue).
Over time, this leads to massive swelling of the affected body part. In addition, there is a reshaping of the skin, which is accompanied by significant thickening and hardening. Typically, elephantiasis is present on the legs, more rarely the arms or other parts of the body may also be affected.
A characteristic feature of elephantiasis is irreversibility, i.e. the tissue reshaping cannot be completely reversed. In rare cases, other types of elephantiasis occur. For example, there are diseases in which skin tissue grows uncontrollably and thus leads to massive tissue accumulation in individual parts of the body (there are cases of elephantiasis on the nose or the sole of the foot).
Causes
The causes of elephantiasis are chronic, highly pronounced fluid retention in the tissue. This is often caused by chronic diseases of the heart and kidney. Due to the heart disease, the circulation is weakened, so that the tissue fluid can no longer be pumped back to the heart and is stored in the legs.
With kidney weakness, not enough fluid is excreted, so that it accumulates in the body. A severe protein deficiency can also lead to edema and fluid retention. The reason for this is often a liver dysfunction, as less protein is produced.
Chronic edema can also be caused by damage to the lymphatic system. Elephantiasis is usually caused by an accumulation of lymph fluid, but can also be triggered and aggravated by other fluids, for example due to heart and kidney disease. Reasons for damage to the lymphatic system are injuries to the vessels after trauma or surgery.
Tumors and radiation can also damage lymph vessels. There are also pathogens that cause diseases such as leprosy and syphilis, which can also lead to lymphedema. Tropical diseases such as usureria bancrofti caused by the nematode can also lead to chronic lymphedema and thus to elephantiasis. Especially in the case of infectious diseases, early therapy can lead to complete healing. However, if the disease is discovered or treated too late, irreversible damage with skin changes and massive swelling occurs, resulting in elephantiasis.