Abstract

A 22-year-old male U.S. Navy airman with new nontender subcutaneous, 4-cm mass inferior to the right anterior costal margin was sent for routine biopsy. Sudden appearance of axillary lymph nodes prompted immediate excisional biopsy of the primary mass. Pathological evaluation was initially read as Onchocerca volvulus, the filarial nematode classically responsible for river blindness. Subsequent evaluation by Armed Forces Institute of Pathology resulted in a change of diagnosis to Dirofilaria species, not pathogenic in humans. The author discusses the literature of Dirofilaria infestations in humans, and how they may affect U.S. servicemen and women traveling to endemic areas.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.