[Filariae in vertebral canal, report of a case]
Xiao-qing Jing1, Qing-min Kang, Jian-gong Hu
1Deparment of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College, Chengde 067000, China.
Objective:
To confirm diagnosis of a special case with chief complaints of abdominal pain and dyskinesia of lower extremities.
Methods:
The clinical symptoms, signs, MRI, pathological findings and the results of blood test for microfilaria were analyzed.
Results:
The patient was a 6-year old girl who had abdominal pain for 10 days dyskinesia of lower extremities for 6 days accompanied by difficulty in urination and defecation. There was tenderness on T7-9 spinous process, sensory dullness below the umbilicus. Babinski's and Oppenheim's sign were bilaterally positive, and ankle clonus was positive. MRI showed space occupying change in the vertebral canal at T7-9 level. The mass of 2 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm size was removed by surgical operation and histopathological study showed obvious fibrous tissue proliferation accompanied by eosinophil, lymphocyte and neutrophil infiltration around a worm-like structure. Night time blood test performed at 23:00 confirmed the presence of microfilaria.
Conclusion:
The diagnosis of filariae in vertebral canal could be confirmed.
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