[Human pulmonary dirofilariasis. A third case in Italy]
S Pampiglione1, G Candiani, O Del Maschio
1Cattedra di parassitologia, Facoltà di medicina veterinaria, Università di Bologna.
Pathologica
|January 1, 1991
Summary
A rare case of Human Pulmonary Dirofilariasis was found in Italy, caused by Dirofilaria repens. This nematode, typically a dog parasite, presented as a lung lesion in an elderly man.
Area of Science:
- Medical Parasitology
- Veterinary Entomology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Human Dirofilariasis is a parasitic disease caused by Dirofilaria nematodes.
- Subcutaneous Dirofilariasis is more commonly reported in humans than pulmonary cases.
- Dirofilaria repens is a known cause of subcutaneous infections in humans and a common parasite in dogs.
Observation:
- A 66-year-old man in Italy presented with a pulmonary lesion initially suspected to be neoplastic.
- Diagnostic imaging revealed a coin lesion in the lung.
- Histological examination identified an immature male Dirofilaria repens within a small pulmonary artery.
Findings:
- The pulmonary lesion was caused by Dirofilaria repens, a nematode parasite of canids.
- The parasite was found in a state of advanced regression within a necrotic-phlogistic tissue.
- This represents the third reported case of Human Pulmonary Dirofilariasis in Italy, all occurring in a specific geographic region.
Implications:
- Raises questions about the prevalence of Dirofilaria repens versus Dirofilaria immitis in canine populations and human infections in Italy.
- Suggests a potential geographic clustering of pulmonary dirofilariasis cases in Italy.
- Highlights the importance of considering parasitic infections in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary coin lesions, especially in endemic areas.
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