A case of loiasis in Rome.

Autor: Morrone A; Istituto Dermatologico S. Gallicano (IRCCS), Servizio di Medicina Preventiva delle Migrazioni, del Turismo e di Dermatologia Tropicale, Rome, Italy., Franco G, Toma L, Tchangmena OB, Marangi M
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV [J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol] 2002 May; Vol. 16 (3), pp. 280-3.
DOI: 10.1046/j.1468-3083.2002.00438.x
Abstrakt: Background: Owing to the increase of an immigrant population and of Italian citizens travelling for tourism or on business, it is nowadays possible to observe clinical pictures characteristic of tropical regions, often with indistinct symptoms. One of these is Loa loa infestation, or loiasis, a form of filariasis caused by Loa loa and transmitted by the Chrysops fly. We present the case of a male immigrant from Cameroon. Characteristic symptoms were intense xerosis, mostly of the third inferior part of the legs, intensely pruritic, with numerous lesions from scratching. No benefit was obtained by emollient topics, anti-acarus and systemic antihistamines.
Method: Serum samples and Giemsa, haematoxylin, haematoxylin + Giemsa concentration-on-membrane stains, have evidenced the presence of Loa loa microfilariae.
Results: A diagnosis for L. loa (loiasis) infestation was made.
Conclusions: At the beginning of the migration phenomenon, particularly from Africa, Italian physicians, especially dermatologists, were eagerly looking for 'tropical' diseases; this approach can be defined as 'Salgari's syndrome' from the name of the Italian novelist who, though never travelling out of Italy, had perfectly described environments and habits typical of far away countries. Now, conversely, we have to avoid the opposite approach of considering real tropical diseases as related to social or psychological difficult conditions.
Databáze: MEDLINE
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