A Case of Paragonimiasis Suspected Lung Cancer

Abstract

A paragonimiasis infestation is caused by the paragonimus species. Paragonimiasis mainly occurs by ingestion of raw or undercooked freshwater crabs or crayfish. In our country, the prevalence of paragonimiasis was high until late 1960s due to eating habits, but after the 1970s the prevalence of the disease has markedly decreased and now the disease is rarely seen. The diagnosis of tuberculosis by Chest X-ray is often confused with pulmonary carcinoma, bacillary and parasitic infections, and chronic mycosis. Pulmonary paragonimiasis must be considered in the differential diagnosis of lung cancer especially in the appropriate clinical setting because effective treatment with praziquantel can be rewarding. We report a case of a 58-year-old woman with pulmonary paragonimiasis that was suspicious for lung cancer, as detected by biopsy.