| Past two years | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 145 | 101 | 14 |
| Full Text Views | 419 | 3 | 0 |
| PDF Downloads | 82 | 3 | 0 |
Ectopic localization of tungiasis.
Jörg Heukelbach
Jörg Heukelbach
Mandacaru Foundation, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. samsa@mcanet.com.br
Search for other papers by Jörg Heukelbach in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jörg Heukelbach in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Thomas Wilcke
Thomas Wilcke
Mandacaru Foundation, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. samsa@mcanet.com.br
Search for other papers by Thomas Wilcke in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Thomas Wilcke in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Margit Eisele
Margit Eisele
Mandacaru Foundation, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. samsa@mcanet.com.br
Search for other papers by Margit Eisele in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Margit Eisele in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Hermann Feldmeier
Hermann Feldmeier
Mandacaru Foundation, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. samsa@mcanet.com.br
Search for other papers by Hermann Feldmeier in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Hermann Feldmeier in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Tungiasis is caused by the penetration of the female sand flea Tunga penetrans into the epidermis. It is generally assumed that lesions are confined to the feet. To determine to what degree tungiasis occurs at other topographic sites, 1,184 inhabitants of a poor neighborhood in northeastern Brazil were examined; 33.6% were found to have tungiasis (95% confidence interval = 30.9-36.4%). Six percent presented lesions at locations other than the feet, with the hands being the most common ectopic site (5.5%). Other sites were the elbows, thighs, and gluteal region. Ectopic tungiasis was significantly associated with the total number of lesions (P < 0.001) and an age less than 15 years old (P = 0.02). In 86 patients actively recruited with lesions on their feet, ectopic localizations were observed in 25.6%. Since untreated sand flea lesions are prone to become superinfected, clinicians should be aware of not missing any ectopic localization of tungiasis.
Author Notes
| Past two years | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 145 | 101 | 14 |
| Full Text Views | 419 | 3 | 0 |
| PDF Downloads | 82 | 3 | 0 |