title: [Gnathostomiasis caused by Gnathostoma spinigerum etiologically diagnosed upon extraction of the worm from the skin].
abstract: We report a patient with gnathostomiasis in whom a specific diagnosis of Gnathostoma spinigerum infestation was made morphologically upon removal of the worm. A 47-Year-old Japanese male on a business trip to Vietnam ate fried frog with a Vietnamese friend in January 2002, the friend was diagnosed with gnathostomiasis in June 2002. The patient noted swelling of the right leg with migration to the right arm, prompting him to our hospital in February 2003. Hematologic examination showed eosinophilia, and specific anti-gnathostome antibody was detected by a dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot ELISA) in the serum. He was diagnosed as gnathostomiasis, and was given albendazole 400 mg b.i.d. On day 11 of therapy the patient removed a larval worm from the right palmar lesion by pinching with his nails. The worm was identified as G. spinigerum based on morphologic characteristics including number of hooklets on its head-bulb. When gnathostomiasis is suspected, albendazole should be administered before incision of the skin lesion.
authors.affiliation: Jikei University School of Medicine, Division of Infection Control.
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Fumiya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yasutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komatsuzaki
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Kohya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiba
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Onodera
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosoya
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumagai
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006039:Gnathostoma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017205:Spirurida Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology; D014195:Travel; D014744:Vietnam
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015766:Albendazole