Elephantiasis of the left lower limb

Abstract

We report the case of a 48-year old female patient with a pathological history of chronic venous insufficiency which required a surgical treatment 5 years before, presenting in the Department of Dermatology with increased left lower limb evolved over the past 4 years. Clinical examination showed increased lower limb, compared to the contralateral limb, with surgical scar at the level of the external face of the left leg and some papillomatous lesions involving the entire left foot and covering the five left toes. The diagnosis of post-traumatic lymphedema (post-surgical) was retained. Treatment was based on compression stocking, lymphatic drainage as well as on a preventive treatment including benzathine benzylpenicillin: 1.2 MU every three weeks. Lymphedema is caused by a malfunction of the lymphatic system responsible for lymph stasis in interstitial tissues. This results in an increased limb volume. All the anatomical regions which contain lymphatic fluids can be affected by lymphedema, but it mainly occurs in the limbs. Lymphedema of the lower limbs can be classified as either primary or secondary. End-stage lymphedema is also known as elephantiasis.