title: Presence of Dirofilaria repens and an insect immunocyte (plasmatocyte) in a human subcutaneous nodule, induced by a mosquito bite.
abstract: It is well known that the nematode Dirofilaria repens is transmitted to humans by vector mosquito bite. Examination of a fine needle aspiration biopsy drawn from a month-old nodule on the chest of a woman, residing in Garlasco, province of Pavia, Northern Italy, revealed the presence of not only one immature female of D. repens, but also some scattered cells that we believe to be mosquito's blood cells, plasmatocytes (immunocytes). We presume that plasmatocytes were carried into the bite wound with the mosquito's hemolymph that had oozed from a rupture in its mouthparts during feeding. Because Aedes albopictus recently colonized certain areas in the above region, we suspect that the nodule resulted from the bite of this mosquito.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Patologia Animale, Università di Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pampiglione
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D009033:Culicidae; D004182:Dirofilaria / Q000276:immunology*; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008875:Middle Aged; D012876:Skin Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology