Unusual Site of Oral Sarcocystosis in the Tongue

Sarcocystis is an intracellular protozoan parasite that manifests as a sarcocyst within the muscle fibers of an intermediate host. Sarcocystis commonly affects animals; in fact, cases of sarcocystosis involving human hosts are rare and often undiagnosed. The two types of Sarcocystis species that may infect and utilize humans as a definitive host are S. hominis and S. suihominis, both of which predominantly involve the gastrointestinal system. The low prevalence of intestinal sarcocystosis among humans is rarely accompanied by symptoms, except for individuals who ingest large amounts of the parasite. This study presents an unusual case of tongue sarcocystosis, a site that has not been previously reported, that was treated successfully with oral Albendazole for two weeks.