Percutaneous Emergence of Gnathostoma spinigerum Following Praziquantel Treatment

Trop Med Infect Dis. 2019 Dec 14;4(4):145. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed4040145.

Abstract

A Bangladeshi patient with prior travel to Saudi Arabia was hospitalized in the United States for a presumptive liver abscess. Praziquantel was administered following a positive Schistosoma antibody test. Ten days later, a subadult worm migrated to the skin surface and was identified morphologically as Gnathostoma spinigerum. This case highlights the challenges of gnathostomiasis diagnosis, raising questions on potential serologic cross-reactivity and the possible role of praziquantel in stimulating outward migration of Gnathostoma larvae/subadults.

Keywords: gnathostomiasis; imported helminthiasis; praziquantel; schistosomiasis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports