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Etiology and Pathophysiology

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Lymphedema

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Abstract

Lymphatic filariasis caused by the lymph-dwelling filarial parasites infects over 120 million people. While the majority of the infections are subclinical, ~40 million have lymphedema and/or other pathological manifestations ranging from episodic adenolymphangitis, hydroceles, lymphedema, or elephantiasis. The adult worms residing in the lymphatics induce lymphatic dilatation rendering them dysfunctional. Progression to lymphedema and elephantiasis is mediated primarily from the host inflammatory responses to the parasite and perhaps to the Wolbachia endosymbiont or as a consequence of superimposed secondary bacterial and fungal infections.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Sasisekhar Bennuru, Subash Babu & Thomas B. Nutman

  2. NIH-NIRT- ICER, Chennai, India

    Subash Babu

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  1. Sasisekhar Bennuru
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  2. Subash Babu
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  3. Thomas B. Nutman
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Correspondence to Thomas B. Nutman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Lymphedema and Vascular Malformations, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Byung-Boong Lee

  2. Falk Cardiovascular Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA

    Stanley G. Rockson

  3. La Jolla, California, USA

    John Bergan

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Bennuru, S., Babu, S., Nutman, T.B. (2018). Etiology and Pathophysiology. In: Lee, BB., Rockson, S., Bergan, J. (eds) Lymphedema. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52423-8_67

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