[Filariae in vertebral canal, report of a case].
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.
Jing
Xiao-qing
XQ
Deparment of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College, Chengde 067000, China.
Kang
Qing-min
QM
Hu
Jian-gong
JG
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