Carrions disease is an infectious disease produced by Bartonella bacilliformis infection. It is named after Daniel Alcides Carrión. Signs and symptoms
The clinical symptoms of bartonellosis are pleomorphic and some patients from endemic areas may be asymptomatic. The two classical clinical presentations are the acute phase and the chronic phase, corresponding to the two different host cell types invaded by the bacterium (red blood cells and endothelial cells). An individual can be affected by either or both phases. Acute phase
It is also called the hematic phase. The most common findings are fever (usually sustained, but with temperature no greater than 102 °F (39 °C)), pale appearance, malaise, painless liver enlargement, jaundice, enlarged lymph nodes, and enlarged spleen. This phase is characterized by severe hemolytic anemia and transient immunosuppression. The case fatality ratios of untreated patients exceeded 40% but reach around 90% when opportunistic infection with Salmonella spp. occurs. In a recent study, the attack rate was 13.8% (123 cases) and the case-fatality rate was 0.7%.Other symptoms include a headache, muscle aches, and general abdominal pain. Some studies have suggested a link between Carrions disease and heart murmurs due to the diseases impact on the circulatory system. In children, symptoms of anorexia, nausea, and vomiting have been investigated as possible symptoms of the disease.Most of the mortality of Carrions disease occurs during the acute phase. Studies vary in their estimates of mortality.
Some recommend biopsy if the lesions persists more than 6 weeks after giving up smokeless tobacco use, or if the lesion undergoes a change in appearance (e.g. ulceration, thickening, color changes, especially to speckled white and red or entirely red). Surgical excision may be carried out if the lesion does not resolve. Prognosis
Usually this lesion is reversible if the tobacco habit is stopped completely, even after many years of use. In one report, 98% of lesions disappeared within 2 weeks of stopping tobacco use. The risk of the lesion developing into oral cancer (generally squamous cell carcinoma and its variant verrucous carcinoma) is relatively low. Indeed, veruccous carcinoma is sometimes term "snuff dippers cancer". In most reported cases, malignant transformation has occurring in individuals with a very long history of chewing tobacco or who use dry snuff.Smokeless tobacco use is also accompanied by increased risk of other oral conditions such as dental caries (tooth decay), periodontitis (gum disease), attrition (tooth wear) and staining. Epidemiology
STK is extremely common among smokeless tobacco users. Given the association with smokeless tobacco use, this condition tends to occur in adults. A national USA survey estimated an overall prevalence of 1.5% of all types of smokeless tobacco lesions, with males affected more commonly than females. See also
Stomatitis nicotina
Smokers melanosis

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