It's often thought of as Elephantitis which is incorrect ... it's not an -itis, but an -iasis!
Did you know that there are many cases of Elephantiasis throughout the world? Probably the most "infamous" case is that of Joseph Merrick, presented in the movie on his life, The Elephant Man, with John Hurt as Merrick [as pictured here].
Merrick was originally diagnosed with Elephantiasis, but with the advent of modern medicine, it is thought he actually suffered from something entirely different!
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It's caused by a parasitic disease: Lymphatic Filariasis
::See special page for Filariasis in domestic animals
Lymphatic Filariasis (Philariasis) is a parasitic and infectious tropical disease, that is caused by thread-like parasitic worms, of the type filarial nematode. Examples are Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori. The parasites are transmitted by insect bites, usually mosquitoes. Lymphatic filariasis is extremely rare in Western countries.
A closer look at Elephantiasis ...
Elephantiasis (/??l?f?n?ta??s?s, -fæn-/ -fan-) is a disease that is characterized by the thickening of the skin and underlying tissues, especially in the legs and genitals. In some cases, the disease can cause certain body parts, such as the scrotum, to swell to the size of a softball or basketball. ("Elephantitis" is a common mis-hearing or mis-remembering of the term, from confusing the ending -iasis -- process or resulting condition -- with the more commonly heard -itis -- irritation or inflammation.) Its proper medical name is neurofibrome.
Parasites lodge in the lymphatic system
The lymphatic system in vertebrates is a network of conduits that carry a clear fluid called lymph. It also includes the lymphoid tissue that the lymph travels through. Lymphoid tissue is found in many organs, particularly the lymph nodes, and in the lymphoid follicles associated with the digestive system such as the tonsils. The system also includes all the structures dedicated to the circulation and production of lymphocytes, which includes the spleen, thymus, bone marrow and the lymphoid tissue associated with the digestive system. The lymphatic system as we know it today, was first described independently by Rudbeck and Bartholin.
The dissolved constituents of the blood do not directly come in contact with the cells and tissues in the body, but first enter the interstitial fluid, and then the cells of the body. Lymph is the fluid that is formed when interstitial fluid enters the conduits of the lymphatic system. The lymph is not pumped through the body like blood, it is moved mostly by the contractions of skeletal muscles.
The lymphatic system has three interrelated functions. It is responsible for the removal of interstitial fluid from tissues. It absorbs and transports fatty acids and fats as chyle to the circulatory system. The last function of the lymphatic system is the production of immune cells, such as monocytes and lymphocytes, including antibody producing plasma cells.Lymphatic system
The study of lymphatic drainage of various organs is important in diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The lymphatic system, because of its physical proximity to many tissues of the body, is responsible for carrying cancerous cells between the various parts of the body in a process called metastasis. The intervening lymph nodes can trap the cancer cells. If they are not successful in destroying the cancer cells the nodes may become sites of secondary tumors.
Diseases and other problems of the lymphatic system can cause swelling and other symptoms. Problems with the system can impair the body's ability to fight infections.
Parasites are symbiotic ...
The parasites responsible for filariasis have a population of symbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia, that live inside the worm.
A little more on Wolbachia
Wolbachia is a genus of inherited bacteria which infects arthropod species, including a high proportion of insects. It is one of the world's most common parasitic microbes and is potentially the most common reproductive parasite in the biosphere. One study concludes that more than 16% of neotropical insect species carry this bacterium and as many as 25-70% of all insect species are estimated to be potential hosts.
Diagnosis: Blood drawn at night!
The diagnosis is made by identifying microfilariae on a Giemsa stained thick blood film. Blood must be drawn at night, since the microfilaria circulate at night, when their vector, the mosquito, is most likely to bite.
More about the Giemsa stain
Giemsa stain, named after Gustav Giemsa, an early malariologist, is used for the histopathological diagnosis of malaria and other parasites. It is a mixture of methylene blue and eosin. The stain is usually prepared from commercially available Giemsa powder. It is specific for the phosphate groups of DNA and attaches itself to regions of DNA where there are high amounts of adenine-thymine bonding. Giemsa stain is used in Giemsa banding, commonly called G-banding, to stain chromosomes and often used to create a karyotype. It can identify chromosomal aberrations such as translocations and interchanges.
Giemsa stain is also a differential stain. It can be used to study the adherence of pathogenic bacteria to human cells. It differentially stains human and bacterial cells purple and pink respectively. It can be used for histopathological diagnosis of malaria and some other spirochete and protozoan blood parasites. Also used in Wolbach's tissue stain.
Giemsa stain is a classical blood film stain for peripheral blood smears and bone marrow specimens. Erythrocytes stain pink, platelets show a light pale pink, lymphocyte cytoplasm stains sky blue, monocyte cytoplasm stains pale blue, and leukocyte nuclear chromatin stains magenta.
Giemsa stain is also used to visualize chromosomes.
A thin film of the specimen on a microscope slide is fixed in pure methanol for 30 seconds, by immersing it or by putting a few drops of methanol on the slide. The slide is immersed to a freshly prepared 5% Giemsa stain solution for 20-30 minutes (in emergencies 5-10 minutes in 10% solution can be used), then flushed with tap water and left dry. [http://www.impact-malaria.com/FR/EPS/Formations_et_cours_internationaux/Formation_de_la_Liverpool_School_LSTMH/cours_liverpool/Unit_4/4_2_2_2.html]
A first line of treatment: Diethylcarbamazine
Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) is an anthelmintic drug that does not resemble other antiparasitic compounds. It is a synthetic organic compound which is highly specific for several parasites and does not contain any toxic metallic elements.
Learn more about Elephantiasis
Elephantiasis A Medical Dictionary
Amazon Price: $28.95 (as of 09/07/2008)
Keratosen. Ichthyosis. Morbus Darier. Atrophien. Sclerodermie. Elephantiasis
Amazon Price: (as of 09/07/2008)
Podoconiosis: Non-filarial Elephantiasis (Oxford medical publications)
Amazon Price: (as of 09/07/2008)
The Elephant Man: Joseph Merrick
A little more about him ...
Joseph Carey Merrick (August 5, 1862 ? April 11, 1890) was an Englishman who became known as "The Elephant Man" because of his physical appearance caused by a congenital defect. Because of his condition, he would garner the sympathy of Victorian era Britain.
Joseph Merrick is also referred to as John Merrick. This is the name given in the published version of Frederick Treves's memoir of him. However in the original manuscript the name Joseph is present, crossed out and replaced by the name John. It is not known why Treves misrepresented this fact.
Joseph Merrick and Elephant Man lenses
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Elephant Man -- Yes, more than ONE
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He was originally diagnosed with Elephantiasis and nearly 100 years later it was thought he actually suffered from Neurofibromatosis which has often been incorrectly labeled as "the elephant man disease" to this very day. The current medical diagnos...
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Joseph Merrick -- THE Elephant Man
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Known as the Elephant Man, Joseph Merrick only lived 27 years. Originally thought to suffer from Elephantiasis, in 1971 a diagnosis of Neurofibromatosis was offered and then finally a diagnosis in 1986 of Proteus Syndrome. But, could there be still...
Buy the movie on the Elephant Man
The Elephant Man
Amazon Price: (as of 09/07/2008)
You could only see his eyes behind the layers of makeup, but those expressive orbs earned John Hurt a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his moving portrayal of John Merrick, the grotesquely deformed Victorian-era man better known as The Elephant Man. Inarticulate and abused, Merrick is the virtual slave of a carnival barker (Freddie Jones) until dedicated London doctor Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins in a powerfully understated performance) rescues him from the life and offers him an existence with dignity. Anne Bancroft costars as the actress whose visit to Merrick makes him a social curiosity, with John Gielgud and Wendy Hiller as dubious hospital staffers won over by Merrick.
David Lynch earned his only Oscar nominations as director and cowriter of this somber drama, which he shot in a rich black-and-white palette, a sometimes stark, sometimes dreamy visual style that at times recalls the offbeat expressionism of his first film, Eraserhead. It remains a perfect marriage between traditional Hollywood historical drama and Lynch's unique cinematic eye, a compassionate human tale delivered in a gothic vein. The film earned eight Oscar nominations in all, and though it left the Oscar race empty-handed, its dramatic power and handsome yet haunting imagery remain just as strong today. --Sean Axmaker
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Drop me a line ...
Had you heard of Elephantiasis before or known someone with this disease?
is this a congenital?
Posted July 13, 2008
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Dr_Joe
Very informative. Posted July 01, 2008 |
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Do Squidoo, But Don't Plagiarize ...
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Plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work ... it is just NOT cool so don't do it!
