Case report: Molecular diagnosis of subcutaneous Spirometra erinaceieuropaei sparganosis in a Japanese immigrant

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2013 Jan;88(1):198-202. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0406. Epub 2012 Nov 19.

Abstract

We report a case of subcutaneous sparganosis in a 68-year-old female Japanese immigrant in Germany. The patient complained of a painless erythema caudal of the umbilicus with a palpable subcutaneous cherry-sized lump. Polymerase chain reaction on formalin-fixed parasite tissue identified Spirometra erinaceieuropaei as the causative agent; the proliferative form of sparganosis, which is caused by the branching and disseminating Sparganum proliferum, could, thus, be excluded. From the excised sparganum, an immunofluorescence test was established and revealed an antibody response directed against the parasite's tegument. Histological key features of the plerocercoid that facilitate diagnosis with different stains are presented.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA Primers
  • Emigration and Immigration*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sparganosis / diagnosis*
  • Sparganosis / parasitology
  • Spirometra / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • DNA Primers