Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Case Report and Literature Review: Podoconiosis in Southwestern Uganda

Philip Dwek, Ling Yuan Kong, Meghan Wafer, William Cherniak, Romina Pace, Isabelle Malhamé, Dean Simonsky, Geoffrey Anguyo, Eben Stern, Michael Silverman

International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health · pp. 1–7 · Published 15 Jun 2015

10.9734/IJTDH/2015/17672

Abstract

Aims: This report presents one confirmed and two suspected cases of podoconiosis in the Kabale region of southwestern Uganda. Podoconiosis has not previously been described in Uganda outside of the eastern region bordering Kenya. The aim of this case report is to increase awareness of the condition in order to enhance prevention and treatment efforts. Presentation of Cases: Podoconiosis is associated with chronic barefoot exposure to red volcanic soil, with greater prevalence in high-altitude, impoverished areas of the tropics. This report describes one confirmed case and two suspected cases. Case 1 was confirmed by a negative filarial antigen detection test. Cases 2 and 3 had negative filarial smears, but antigen detection kits were not available onsite at the time. However, the altitude at which all three patients live (>1500 masl) makes filarial disease unlikely. Discussion: Podoconiosis has not been previously reported in the region, and thus may be under-diagnosed due to a low index of suspicion among clinicians. Using adequate footwear is an important component of prevention. However, limited financial resources present a significant barrier to the use of footwear. Understanding community attitudes towards causes and risk factors is also integral to effective prevention. Conclusion: Podoconiosis has a high potential for elimination, as it is preventable and treatable in the early stages with consistent use of footwear and regular foot-washing. In addition, increased awareness among physicians and clinicians of the presence of the disease in this area can lead to early detection and treatment.

Podoconiosis Uganda mossy foot case report.

References (21)

  1. 1 HLA Class II Locus and Susceptibility to Podoconiosis [DOI]
  2. 2 Economic costs of endemic non‐filarial elephantiasis in Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia [DOI]
  3. 3 Prevalence of Podoconiosis (Endemic Non-Filarial Elephantiasis) in Wolaitta, Southern Ethiopia [DOI]
  4. 4 Epidemiology and Individual, Household and Geographical Risk Factors of Podoconiosis in Ethiopia: Results from the First Nationwide Mapping [DOI]
  5. 5 Effectiveness of a Simple Lymphoedema Treatment Regimen in Podoconiosis Management in Southern Ethiopia: One Year Follow-Up [DOI]
  6. 6 Community-Based Control of a Neglected Tropical Disease: The Mossy Foot Treatment and Prevention Association [DOI]
  7. 7 Extent of podoconiosis-related stigma in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study [DOI]
  8. 8 Patients’ perceptions of podoconiosis causes, prevention and consequences in East and West Gojam, Northern Ethiopia [DOI]
  9. 9 Health professionals’ attitudes and misconceptions regarding podoconiosis: potential impact on integration of care in southern Ethiopia [DOI]
  10. 10 Stigma towards a Neglected Tropical Disease: Felt and enacted Stigma Scores among Podoconiosis Patients in Northern Ethiopia [DOI]
  11. 11 A Qualitative Study Exploring Barriers Related to Use of Footwear in Rural Highland Ethiopia: Implications for Neglected Tropical Disease Control [DOI]
  12. 12 The Association of Beliefs About Heredity with Preventive and Interpersonal Behaviors in Communities Affected by Podoconiosis in Rural Ethiopia [DOI]
  13. 13 Spatial Distribution of Podoconiosis in Relation to Environmental Factors in Ethiopia: A Historical Review [DOI]
  14. 14 Non-filarial elephantiasis in the Mt. Elgon area (Kapchorwa District) of Uganda [DOI]
  15. 15 Community-based survey of podoconiosis in Bedele Zuria woreda, west Ethiopia [DOI]
  16. 16 Rapid assessment of the geographical distribution of lymphatic filariasis in Uganda, by screening of schoolchildren for circulating filarial antigens [DOI]
  17. 17 Predictive value of clinical assessment of patients with podoconiosis in an endemic community setting [DOI]
  18. 18 Using a “genomics tool” to develop disease prevention strategy in a low-income setting: lessons from the podoconiosis research project [DOI]
  19. 19 Endemic elephantiasis of the lower legs in Rwanda and Burundi.
  20. 20 On the Probable Inclusion of Several Diseases in the Title ‘“Mossy” Foot’ [DOI]
  21. 21 A Historical Review [DOI]

Cited by 10

Podoconiosis in Uganda: prevalence, geographical distribution and risk factors

Ivan Masete, Hope Simpson, Gabriel Matwale · Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2024

Medicinal Uses of Soil Components, Geophagia and Podoconiosis

Rolf Nieder, Dinesh K. Benbi, Franz X. Reichl · Soil Components and Human Health · 2018

Global Knowledge Gaps in Equitable Delivery of Chronic Edema Care: A Political Economy Case Study Analysis

Linda Gibson, Christine J. Moffatt, SR Narahari · Lymphatic Research and Biology · 2021

Risk Factors for Podoconiosis: Kamwenge District, Western Uganda, September 2015

Christine Kihembo, Ben Masiira, William Z. Lali · The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2017

Showing 5 of 10 known citations — external sources report more than can currently be individually listed.

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

0

Page views

0

PDF downloads

0

Outbound clicks

10

Citations

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

No views recorded yet.

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

No traffic recorded yet.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.