Defining and managing Acute lymphangioadenitis in podoconiosis lymphoedema in Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Podoconiosis (endemic non-filarial elephantiasis) is a non-infectious disease arising in barefoot individuals in long-term contact with irritant red clay soil of volcanic origin. The condition is believed to be caused by the interplay between environmental factors and genetic susceptibility over a prolonged period of time. In the last decade significant progress had been made in research on podoconiosis. Acute dermatolymphangioadenitis (ADLA) is a common and disabling complication of podoconiosis lymphoedema and remain the most painful and distressing condition, with diverse health, social and economic ramifications, yet has been very little investigated to date.