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Cerebral sparganosis in an East Timorese refugee
W J Munckhof1, M L Grayson, B J Susil
1Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Vic.
Objective:
To report the first case of cerebral sparganosis diagnosed in Australia.
Clinical Features:
A 23-year-old East Timorese refugee, whose diet before migration included raw snakes and frogs, presented with a generalised tonic-clonic seizure and a nine-month history of episodic left hemianaesthesia. Computerised axial tomography of the brain showed a right frontal lesion, which was excised, and histological examination demonstrated changes typical of sparganosis.
Intervention And Outcome:
Excision of the lesion resulted in cure. Postoperative eosinophilia and a subcutaneous nodule presumed to be due to disseminated sparganosis resolved following a course of praziquantel.
Conclusion:
Clinicians should consider the possibility of unusual parasitic infections in refugees who present with intracranial space-occupying lesions, especially those from developing countries. A dietary history may aid the diagnosis.