title: Clinical Features of Pulmonary Sparganosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sparganosis is an infectious disease caused by the sparganum of Spirometra species, which seldom invades the respiratory system. The aim was to describe the clinical features and outcomes of pulmonary sparganosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 40 patients with pulmonary sparganosis were reviewed, including 12 cases known from this experience and 28 cases reported in the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among these 40 patients at an average age of 45.4 ± 11.1 years (men 29), 34 (85%) had a history of ingesting raw or undercooked meat (mainly frogs or snakes). The top 3 symptoms were coughing (60.0%), fever (57.5%) and chest pain (42.5%). Peripheral blood eosinophilia was found in 30 cases (75%). Lesions were located in lung parenchyma, airway, pleura and pulmonary vessels of the patients. Thirty-one patients (77.5%) had pleural effusion. The diagnosis was established by antisparganum antibody test in 30 cases (75%) and by pathology in 9 cases (22.5%); 1 case was not mentioned. Among the 35 cases with follow-up information, 2 treated with complete surgical removal and 31 with oral administration of praziquantel had no recurrence; the remaining 2 died without effective treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As an extremely rare and life-threatening parasitic zoonosis, pulmonary sparganosis should be diagnosed by combining the epidemiology, patient history, eosinophilia and the positive antisparganum antibody test result together if no worm was detected. Oral praziquantel is considered to be an effective treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bei Li
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Qing Yun
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000923:Anticestodal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005202:Asia, Eastern; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013031:Sparganosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000601:surgery; D013032:Sparganum / Q000502:physiology; D013785:Thailand; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000923:Anticestodal Agents; D011223:Praziquantel