Picture of the Month

Authors: Mark L Bagarazzi James McCarthy In K Kim James Reynolds Thomas Nutman Barbara Watson

Publish Date: 1997/05/01

Volume: 151, Issue: 5, Pages: 521-522

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Abstract

A 16YEAROLD girl from Burkina Faso formerly Upper Volta Africa presented with a 7year history of an edematous right foot Figure 1 that worsened during a recent pregnancy Her differential blood count showed eosinophilia Lymphoscintigraphy was performed Figure 2 Figure 3 presents a lymphoscintiogram with normal results for comparisonFilariasis  Bancroftian filariasis is a parasitic infection caused by the mosquitoborne filarial nematode Wuchereria bancrofti that causes various clinical manifestations including elephantiasis Infection is prevalent throughout the tropics with an estimated 100 million people infected and 900 million people at risk for acquiring the infection1Adult female worms living in lymphatic vessels produce microfilariae that migrate into the bloodstream The appearance of microfilariae in the blood generally has a periodicity and in most areas of the world peaks late at night coinciding with mosquito feeding patterns Microfilariae taken up by a mosquito during a blood meal develop

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