Subcutaneous Infraorbital Dirofilariasis.

Area of Science:

• Parasitology
• Infectious Diseases
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Dirofilariasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes, primarily affecting animals but with accidental human infections.
• Human dirofilariasis can present with diverse clinical manifestations, including pulmonary nodules, subcutaneous masses, and ocular lesions (subconjunctival or periorbital).

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of human dirofilariasis presenting as an infraorbital mass.
• To highlight the diagnostic importance of microbiological and histopathological examinations in identifying parasitic infections like dirofilariasis.

Main Methods:

• Case report of a 64-year-old female patient presenting with an infraorbital mass.
• Clinical examination, microbiological evaluation, and histopathological analysis were employed for diagnosis.

Main Results:

• The patient was diagnosed with dirofilariasis based on the infraorbital mass.
• Histopathological examination confirmed the presence of the parasite.

Conclusions:

• Dirofilariasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of infraorbital masses, especially in endemic areas.
• Accurate diagnosis relies on a combination of clinical suspicion and appropriate laboratory investigations, including histopathology.