Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa in a patient with major depressive disorder

Nov 2012

[Article in Spanish]

Simón Llanes J, Coll Vilar I, Tamarit Francés C, Niubó de Castro I.

Source

Unidad Hospitalaria de Rehabilitación, Hospital Psiquiátrico Universitario Institut Pere Mata, Reus, España. Electronic address: simonj@peremata.com.

Abstract

Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa is a rare condition characterised by papules, verrucous lesions, fibrosis and deformity of the affected area. It is caused by chronic lymphedema that could be congenital or produced by a non-associated infection (such as tuberculosis, mycotic infection, syphilis), surgery, radiotherapy, trauma, neoplastic obstruction, obesity, portal hypertension, or congestive heart failure. There is no standard treatment for this rare skin disorder. Depending on the cause and the severity, the treatment can be medical or surgical. We report the case of a man seen in our hospital with a major depression and elephantiasis nostras verrucosa skin lesions on both legs, who was successfully treated with surgical debridement and conservative measures.

PubMed

Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa complicated with chronic tibial osteomyelitis

Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa complicated with chronic tibial osteomyelitis
Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2007 Nov 3

Turhan E, Ege A, Keser S, Bayar A.
School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medicine Faculty of Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Kozlu, 67100, Zonguldak, Turkey, dregementurhan@yahoo.com.

Keywords: Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa - Tibial - Osteomyelitis - Amputation

Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa represents an infrequent clinical entity with cutaneous changes characterized by dermal fibrosis, hyperkeratotic verrucous and papillamotous lesions resulting from chronic non-filarial lymphedema secondary to infections, surgeries, tumor obstruction, radiation, congestive heart failure, and obesity. Although recurrent streptococcal lymphangitis is believed to play a critical role in the origin of elephantiasis nostras verrucosa, the exact pathogenesis of the disorder is not yet clear. Therapeutic efforts should aim to reduce lymph stasis, which will also lead to improvement of the cutaneous changes but unfortunately there is no specific treatment for advanced cases. In this report, we present a patient who was treated by below knee amputation as a result of elephantiasis nostras verrucosa complicated with chronic tibial osteomyelitis.

Springer Link