Elephantiasis, often incorrectly called elephantitis, is the enlargement and hardening of limbs or body parts due to tissue swelling.[1][2] It is characterised by edema, hypertrophy, and fibrosis of skin and subcutaneous tissues, due to obstruction of lymphatic vessels.[2] It may affect the genitalia.[2] The term elephantiasis is often used in reference to (symptoms caused by) parasitic worm infections,[1][2] but may refer to a variety of diseases that swell parts of the subject's body to exceptionally massive proportions.[2]
| Elephantiasis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Elephantiasis of the legs due to filariasis. | |
| Specialty | Infectious disease, general surgery |
| Symptoms | Swelling of the skin |
Some conditions that present with elephantiasis include:
Other causes may include:
