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Parasitology International Apr 2020Proliferative sparganosis is one of the most bizarre and mysterious parasitic diseases ever described. The causative parasite is Sparganum proliferum, which is a... (Review)
Review
Proliferative sparganosis is one of the most bizarre and mysterious parasitic diseases ever described. The causative parasite is Sparganum proliferum, which is a pseudophyllidean cestode distinct from Spirometra tapeworms. Here we overview this rare but fascinating disease with the all original case reports on human patients published in the last 115 years. Proliferative sparganosis is clearly divided into two disease types, cutaneous and internal proliferative sparganosis. Cutaneous type starts with a skin eruption caused by the dermal invasion of a sparganum. Skin lesion progresses to larger areas of the body if left untreated. Various internal organs and body wall can be eventually affected. The clinical symptoms of patients in this group are very similar to each other. Molecular data suggest that cutaneous proliferative sparganosis is caused by S. proliferum of which genetic variation is limited, regardless of the time or localities of the emergence of patients. Internal proliferative sparganosis, on the other hand, is much more heterogeneous. Some cases show aggressive infection in internal organs, while others show only restricted lesions. Some of the cases that had been cited as proliferative sparganosis in the past literature were removed from the list, because they were judged as cyclophyllidean tapeworm infections. DNA sequencing is mandatory for the definite diagnosis of proliferative sparganosis. The Venezuelan strain of S. proliferum is maintained in experimental mice in Japan, which is fully prepared for the experimental study with advanced technologies in modern molecular biology.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Skin Diseases, Parasitic; Sparganosis; Sparganum
PubMed: 31841658
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.102036 -
The Korean Journal of Parasitology Oct 2019Human sparganosis is a food-borne zoonosis mainly caused by the plerocercoid belonging to the genus Spirometra. The most common clinical sign of sparganosis is a...
Human sparganosis is a food-borne zoonosis mainly caused by the plerocercoid belonging to the genus Spirometra. The most common clinical sign of sparganosis is a subcutaneous mass in the trunk including abdominal or chest wall. The mass may be mistaken for a malignant tumor, thereby causing difficulty in terms of diagnosis and treatment. A 66-year-old woman visited our clinic for the removal of a lipoma-like mass. It was movable, hard, and painless. We identified 2 white mass, measuring 0.2×4 cm and 0.2×1 cm. Pathologic findings indicated the white mass was a sparganum. She recalled having eaten a raw frog approximately 60 years before. A 35-year-old who lived North Korea was also presented to our clinic with an asymptomatic nodule on her abdomen. Intraoperatively, we found sparganum approximately 24 cm size. Subcutaneous masses are associated with clinical signs of inflammation or they may mimic a soft tissue neoplasm. While the incidence rate of sparganosis has decreased with economic development and advancements in sanitation, surgeons still encounter patients with sparganosis in the clinical setting. Therefore, a careful history is required in order to diagnose sparganosis.
Topics: Abdomen; Adult; Aged; Animals; Female; Humans; Lipoma; Sparganosis; Spirometra
PubMed: 31715692
DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2019.57.5.513 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Nov 2019Diphyllobothriosis is a reemerging zoonotic disease because of global trade and increased popularity of eating raw fish. We present molecular evidence of host switching...
Diphyllobothriosis is a reemerging zoonotic disease because of global trade and increased popularity of eating raw fish. We present molecular evidence of host switching of a human-infecting broad fish tapeworm, Dibothriocephalus latus, and use of salmonids as intermediate or paratenic hosts and thus a source of human infection in South America.
Topics: Animals; Diphyllobothriasis; Fish Diseases; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Salmonidae; South America; Zoonoses
PubMed: 31625847
DOI: 10.3201/eid2511.190792 -
The American Journal of Tropical... Nov 2019Human sparganosis is a cestode infection which is neglected as a differential diagnosis outside endemic countries. Diagnosis and therapy may be challenging depending on...
Human sparganosis is a cestode infection which is neglected as a differential diagnosis outside endemic countries. Diagnosis and therapy may be challenging depending on the clinical presentation and anatomic localization. The disease manifests predominantly as subcutaneous nodule(s) or intracranial mass lesion(s). Infection is primarily acquired by ingesting raw or undercooked amphibian or reptile flesh or by drinking water containing copepods. We report an unusual case of subcutaneous sparganosis presenting with two nonmigratory nodules in close proximity to each other on the right thigh of a Thai woman living in Switzerland.
Topics: Animals; Base Sequence; DNA, Helminth; Emigrants and Immigrants; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Sparganosis; Spirometra; Subcutaneous Tissue; Switzerland; Thailand
PubMed: 31571569
DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0456 -
Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy Sep 2019
Topics: Animals; Diphyllobothriasis; Diphyllobothrium; Fish Diseases; Fishes; Foodborne Diseases; Humans
PubMed: 31498709
DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2019.1665028 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Aug 2019Sparganosis, a rare and severe parasitic infection caused by the larvae of Spirometra species or simply sparganum, generally involves subcutaneous tissue or muscle. But... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Sparganosis, a rare and severe parasitic infection caused by the larvae of Spirometra species or simply sparganum, generally involves subcutaneous tissue or muscle. But occasionally, sparganum can also invade the human brain, resulting in cerebral sparganosis.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 33-year-old woman presented with a 10-day history of headache. Postcontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an irregular lesion with enhancement and the tunnel-shaped focus extending to the contralateral hemiphere. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis disclosed pleocytosis (166 cells/μL) and an elevated protein concentration (0.742 g/L). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed positive sparganum-specific antibody in both blood and CSF. Finally, the diagnosis of cerebral sparganosis was comfirmed. She received praziquantel treatment and got a favorable outcome during six-month follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS
Irregular enhancement and the tunnel sign that extends to the contralateral hemisphere on postconstrast MRI are unusual presentations of cerebral sparganosis. ELISA for sparganum-specific antibody can help confirm the diagnosis. Although surgery is the preferred treatment for cerebral sparganosis, praziquantel might also achieve satisfying outcomes.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Anthelmintics; Antibodies, Helminth; Brain Diseases; Cerebrospinal Fluid; Contrast Media; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Headache; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Praziquantel; Sparganosis; Spirometra
PubMed: 31455261
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-019-4396-2 -
The American Journal of Tropical... Nov 2019A 50-year-old Chinese woman with a history of weakness and paroxysmal seizures of the left limb presented to our hospital with a ten-day history of neck pain. Imaging...
A 50-year-old Chinese woman with a history of weakness and paroxysmal seizures of the left limb presented to our hospital with a ten-day history of neck pain. Imaging showed that there was a mass in the frontal lobe of her brain. On resection of the mass, a motile worm was identified. Morphological observation and molecular analysis of the mitochondrial COX1 and 28S rRNA genes of the worm extracted from the brain identified the causative agent as . Homology search of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified products from the case was conducted against gene fragments from local wild frogs. High homology was found between them, showing her likely exposure was frog consumption.
Topics: Animals; Brain Diseases; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Sparganosis; Spirometra
PubMed: 31436160
DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0468 -
BMC Neurology May 2019Sparganosis mansoni is a parasitic disease caused by infection with the larvae of Spirometra spp. tapeworms. Its clinical manifestations and severity depend on the...
BACKGROUND
Sparganosis mansoni is a parasitic disease caused by infection with the larvae of Spirometra spp. tapeworms. Its clinical manifestations and severity depend on the migration and the location of the parasites. The proportion of cerebral sparganosis in all Spirometra mansoni infections is 13.5% in Thailand and 12.4% in China. In the clinical setting, cerebral sparganosis is often misdiagnosed due to atypical characteristics, irregular intracranial location, and atypical epidemiology.
CASE PRESENTATION
The patient in the case study suffered from an acute paroxysmal attack of lateral numbness, accompanied with focal epilepsy. He was admitted to the neurology department as a stroke patient but was later diagnosed with cerebral sparganosis mansoni following lab and radiology investigations. He was fully recovered and free of Spirometra mansoni one year after initial consultation following several courses of oral praziquantel. The current report focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and follow up of this patient.
CONCLUSIONS
A case of cerebral sparganosis mansoni with a stroke-like onsetsuggests that in the clinical diagnosis, neurologists should pay attention to brain lesions and look out for the possibility of neuroparasitic infections when dealing with patients with stroke-like onset accompanied by epilepsy. Detections of relevant antibodies in blood and cerebrospinal fluid may be necessary. The combination of the epidemiological history, clinical manifestations, detection of parasite antibody, head radiology, pathological biopsy, and identification of parasites will help us in diagnosis and differential diagnosis.
Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; China; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Praziquantel; Sparganosis; Spirometra; Stroke
PubMed: 31142276
DOI: 10.1186/s12883-019-1335-1 -
Parasites & Vectors May 2019Diphyllobothriosis is an intestinal cestodosis caused by tapeworms of the family Diphyllobothriidae. In France, endemic cases are limited to south-east and due to...
BACKGROUND
Diphyllobothriosis is an intestinal cestodosis caused by tapeworms of the family Diphyllobothriidae. In France, endemic cases are limited to south-east and due to Dibothriocephalus latus. In this paper, we investigate a series of seven cases of diphyllobothriosis in the non-endemic French region of Brittany. All have been diagnosed between 2016 and 2018 at the University Hospital of Rennes.
METHODS
Parasites were identified by their morphological features and by phylogenetic analysis of the cox1 gene. Phylogenetic tree was built using maximum likelihood criterion under the GTR+G+I model and 2000 bootstrap replicates. A form was sent to all patients to collect data concerning clinical signs and possible sources of infection.
RESULTS
All cases were due to Dibothriocephalus nihonkaiensis, a species strictly distributed in the North Pacific. Epidemiological investigation showed that the parasite was probably acquired in France, after consumption of Japanese food containing raw salmon. All patients presented with at least abdominal pain and fatigue except for one patient who had no symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS
To our knowledge, this case series is the most important cohort of allochthonous diphyllobothriosis described in Europe. This sudden emergence raises concern about foodborne infections, highlighting (i) risky food habits in absence of adequate sanitary control; and (ii) the breaking of the rule of geographical restriction due to globalization and worldwide trades.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antiparasitic Agents; Cohort Studies; Cyclooxygenase 1; Diphyllobothriasis; Diphyllobothrium; Female; France; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Phylogeny; Raw Foods; Salmon; Seafood; Young Adult
PubMed: 31138323
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3516-6 -
The Korean Journal of Parasitology Apr 2019Sparganosis is a parasitic infestation caused by sparganum, a plerocercoid tapeworm larva of the genus Spirometra. Since the first case of human sparganosis reported in...
Sparganosis is a parasitic infestation caused by sparganum, a plerocercoid tapeworm larva of the genus Spirometra. Since the first case of human sparganosis reported in 1908, sparganosis has been a global disease, and is common in China, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries. Consumption of raw snakes, frogs, fish, or drinking contaminated beverages are sources of human infections. Human sparganosis usually manifests in subcutaneous fat in areas such as the abdomen, genitourinary tract, and limbs. Breast sparganosis cases are rare, representing less than 2% of total cases of human infections. Complete surgical extraction of the sparganum is the treatment of choice. Because of the rarity of the disease, clinical suspicion is vital to reach the diagnosis of breast sparganosis. Here we report 2 rare cases of breast sparganosis presenting with a painless breast lump, both treated with surgical excision and sparganum extraction.
Topics: Aged; Animals; Breast; Breast Diseases; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Sparganosis; Sparganum; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 31104411
DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2019.57.2.179