Open AccessA surgical challenge: Idiopathic scrotal elephantiasis
Author(s) -
Hilary Brotherhood,
Michael Metcalfe,
Larry Goldenberg,
Peter Pommerville,
Cameran Bowman,
David Naysmith
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
canadian urological association journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1920-1214
pISSN - 1911-6470
DOI - 10.5489/cuaj.1739
Subject(s) - elephantiasis , lymphedema , filariasis , medicine , surgery , hydrocele , malignancy , scrotum , dermatology , general surgery , pathology , breast cancer , cancer , helminths , immunology
Scrotal elephantiasis is a condition rarely encountered in developed nations. It is endemic in tropical regions due to the presence of filariasis (Wucheria bancrofti). We report 2 cases of idiopathic scrotal elephantiasis in Canadian citizens with no history of travel to endemic filariasis regions, malignancy, surgery or radiation. Both patients underwent complete excision of the involved tissue with reconstruction. We found that for advanced cases of scrotal lymphedema, surgery is currently the only solution. In our cases of advanced idiopathic disease, surgical treatment combining the expertise of a plastic surgeon and a urologist provided a successful functional and cosmetic result.