ABSTRACT
Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa (ENV) is an uncommon condition caused by repeated inflammation and lymphatic obstruction. It occurs mainly in the lower extremities and is characterized by skin changes, including hyperkeratotic mossy papules and plaques, non-pitting edema, and cobblestone-like appearances. ENV can be diagnosed based on its typical clinical manifestations (pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia with enlarged lymphatic spaces, fibrous tissue proliferation, and chronic inflammation) and by skin biopsy. Although ENV is difficult to treat, reduction of lymphedema and use of keratolytic agents may be helpful. To our knowledge, only three cases of ENV have been reported. However, the case of ENV treated with oral acitretin has not been reported in domestic literatures. Therefore, we report the case of a 45-year-old woman who developed ENV. She had a past history of cellulitis and was successfully treated with oral acitretin.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Acitretin , Biopsy , Cellulitis , Edema , Elephantiasis , Hyperplasia , Inflammation , Keratolytic Agents , Lower Extremity , Lymphedema , SkinABSTRACT
Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa occurs due to chronic lymphedema, characterized by cutaneous changes consisting of papillomatous, verrucous, and hyperkerototic lesions. Treatment of elephantiasis nostras verrucosa is challenging and results are often disappointing. We report our experience with a patient who was successfully treated with oral acitretin.
ABSTRACT
Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa is an uncommon disorder that is characterized by dermal fibrosis, hyperkeratotic verrucous and papillomatous lesions and this is all caused by chronic non-filarial lymphedema secondary to infections, surgeries, tumor obstructions, radiations, congestive heart failure and obesity. We report here on a case of elephantiasis nostras verrucosa that occurred on the left lower leg of a 54-year-old woman who had a past history of extensive skin grafts and recurrent infection.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Elephantiasis , Fibrosis , Heart Failure , Leg , Non-Filarial Lymphedema , Obesity , Skin , Skin Transplantation , TransplantsABSTRACT
Elephantiasis nostras verrucosa (ENV) is a rare clinical condition associated with chronic non-filarial lymphedema caused by bacterial or non-infectious lymphatic obstruction. A variety of etiologies, including infection, tumor obstruction, trauma, radiation, chronic venous stasis, congestive heart failure, and obesity, can lead to chronic lymphatic obstruction and edema. Mossy papules, plaques, and cobblestone-like nodules are clinically impressive features of ENV, but biopsy reveals only moderately abnormal findings such as pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, dilated lymphatic spaces, fibrous tissue hyperplasia, and chronic inflammation. We present a case of ENV in a 67-year-old man with a 10-year history of multiple nodules and verrucous plaques on both feet. Microbiology ruled out a filarial infection. Nodule biopsy revealed pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, marked dermal fibrosis, and a chronic inflammatory infiltrate. No evidence of carcinoma was identified. Both venous stasis and recurrent cellulitis could contribute to the dermal fibrotic changes of the lesions. However, before the recurrent cellulitis, he did not have any nodular lesions on his feet despite a 10-year history of venous disease. Therefore, this case suggests that venous stasis alone cannot produce the fibrotic nodular lesions of ENV