title: [Filariae in vertebral canal, report of a case].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To confirm diagnosis of a special case with chief complaints of abdominal pain and dyskinesia of lower extremities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical symptoms, signs, MRI, pathological findings and the results of blood test for microfilaria were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient was a 6-year old girl who had abdominal pain for 10 days dyskinesia of lower extremities for 6 days accompanied by difficulty in urination and defecation. There was tenderness on T7-9 spinous process, sensory dullness below the umbilicus. Babinski's and Oppenheim's sign were bilaterally positive, and ankle clonus was positive. MRI showed space occupying change in the vertebral canal at T7-9 level. The mass of 2 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm size was removed by surgical operation and histopathological study showed obvious fibrous tissue proliferation accompanied by eosinophil, lymphocyte and neutrophil infiltration around a worm-like structure. Night time blood test performed at 23:00 confirmed the presence of microfilaria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnosis of filariae in vertebral canal could be confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College, Chengde 067000, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Qing-min
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jian-gong
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications*; D005370:Filarioidea; D006801:Humans; D013115:Spinal Canal / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000469:parasitology