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[Pathomorphologic and ultrastructural characteristics of endocardial Cysticercus cellulosae]
Insights
A rare case of cardiac cysticercosis was found in a patient with rheumatic heart disease. Microscopic examination revealed yeast-like elements within the cyst, posing diagnostic challenges.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Parasitology
- Pathology
Background:
- A 36-year-old patient with mitral and aortic valve defects due to rheumatic endocarditis underwent surgery.
- A solitary endocardial cysticercus was discovered in the left auricle during the operation.
Observation:
- The cysticercus was found on intact endothelium with preserved endocardial structure.
- Inflammation in the endocardium and myocardium showed allergic features with eosinophils, plasma cells, and lymphocytes.
- Histological analysis revealed yeast-like elements within the cyst wall, suspected to be immature tapeworm segments.
Findings:
- Diagnosis of endocardial cysticercus presents microscopic challenges.
- The presence of yeast-like elements suggests a potential parasitic etiology.
Implications:
- Highlights the importance of considering parasitic infections in cardiac pathology.
- Underscores the difficulties in microscopic diagnosis of cysticercosis in cardiac tissues.
Abstract:
A case is presented of a solitary endocardial cysticercus of cellulose discovered at a biopsy in the left auricula of the heart, got by a 36-year old patient at the operation who had a mitral and aortal defect caused by a reumatic endocarditis. The cisticercus is implanted on the surface of an intact endothelium and the fibroelastic structure of the superficial part of the endocardium is preserved. Inflammation of the endocardium and the myocardium is presented by a perivascular infiltrates eosinophile granulocytes, plasms cells and lymphocytes, suggesting an allergic nature of inflammation. In histological preparates stained by selective methods of fungus according to Gridley and Crocott on the wall of the membrane of the cyst polymorphal Yeast-like elements are discovered at a size of 2-12 mil. mic. which ultrastructurally show degenerative forms of membranous structures suspected as immature primitive proglotids. In this paper, the objective difficulties are pointed out at the microscopic diagnosis of the cisticercus in the pathological material.