Trichinella spiralis: Mere Co-Existence or Carcinogenic Parasite For Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma?

Trichinella spiralis is a parasite which is usually seen in pork-eaters. Most of the trichinosis infections cause little or no symptoms. We report a rare case of a middle aged North Indian male who presented with a painless ulcer in right buccal mucosa which was biopsied and reported as squamous cell carcinoma. Wide local excision was done subsequently which showed encysted larvae of Trichinella spiralis in the deeper skeletal muscle bundles. This article supports the carcinogenic potential of trichinosis and suggests timely work-up and treatment of the parasite.