Orbital dirofilariasis

Dirofilariasis is a parasitic disease of domestic and wild animals that occasionally may present as zoonotic infection in humans. The microfilariae are accidentally transmitted to humans by Culex and Aedes mosquitoes. Ophthalmic infections with Dirofilaria are well documented all over the world, including America, Europe and Australia. The infection may be periorbital, subconjunctival or intraocular. In this report a case is described of orbital dirofilariasis that presented as ptosis and lid swelling. Australian ophthalmologists should consider dirofilariasis as part of the differential diagnosis of orbital swelling and inflammation.