Cysticercosis, Coenurosis, Sparganosis, And Proliferating Cestode Larvae

Abstract

Abstract As stated in the introduction to Part IV, the larval stages of certain tapeworms such as cysticercus, coenurus, hydatid, and sparganum occur in humans, where they often behave as they do in their natural intermediate hosts. These infections are by definition zoonotic. In certain geographic areas, some of them produce important morbidity and mortality. In addition to the four larval stages mentioned, other cestode larvae occur rarely in humans, and aberrant forms of cysticercus and sparganum occur in both immune-competent and immune-suppressed individuals. The recognition of cestode larvae in tissues is important for the anatomic pathologist because this is the basis for diagnosing these infections specifically. In this chapter, we will study the cysticercus, coenurus, sparganum, and proliferating cestode larvae; the hydatid larvae are covered in Chapter 27.