First reports of subcutaneous sparganosis in Sri Lanka.
OBJECTIVE
To report and create awareness of sparganosis, a parasitic zoonosis caused by a larval stage of Spirometra sp.


METHODS
Two patients with non-tender subcutaneous lumps. DIAGNOSIS CRITERIA: Morphology of solid cestode larva in excision biopsies.


CONCLUSIONS
Although these two instances were innocuous, infection is potentially dangerous as larvae are long lived and could invade vital organs. The most likely source of infection in Sri Lanka is ingestion of the infected first intermediate host, Cyclops, in water.
Wijesundera
M S
MS
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Ratnatunga
N
N
Kumarasinghe
M P
MP
Dissanaike
A S
AS
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012876:Skin Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D013031:Sparganosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology