Breast and scrotal sparganosis: sonographic findings and pathologic correlation.
OBJECTIVE
Sparganosis is caused by the tapeworm larva of the geneus Spirometra. Because sparganosis usually manifests as a migrating subcutaneous mass, sonography can play an important role in its diagnosis.


METHODS
In this series, we investigated 4 cases of subcutaneous sparganosis and focused on the sonographic findings. Three of the cases involved the breast, and the other involved the scrotum, as confirmed by surgery.


RESULTS
The characteristics of subcutaneous sparganosis included a poorly defined hyperechoic lesion with internal serpiginous tubular structures, anechoic serpiginous tubular structures with a surrounding hyperechoic lesion, and an elongated hyperechoic mass with a hypoechoic nodular lesion in the central portion.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that a mass combined with a hypoechoic tubular structure should raise the suspicion of subcutaneous sparganosis.
Department of Radiology, Dankook University Hospital, Anseo-dong San 16-5, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea.
Su Jin
SJ
Hong
You Me
YM
Kim
Min
M
Seo
Kyu Soon
KS
Kim
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001940:Breast / Q000469:parasitology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012611:Scrotum / Q000469:parasitology*; D013031:Sparganosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography