title: Human Ocular Dirofilariasis in Hong Kong.
abstract: Human dirofilariasis is a helminthic infestation caused by filarial nematodes of the genus Dirofilaria. We report two cases of subconjunctival dirofilariasis in adult Chinese patients.
  
  
  
  Case 1: A 57-year-old woman presented to us with 1-day history of left eye redness and migratory foreign body sensation. Physical examination showed a temporal subconjunctival motile mass in her left eye. Immediate surgical exploration showed a live nonpigmented roundworm measuring 120 mm in length with morphology compatible with Dirofilaria. It was later identified to be Dirofilaria repens by sequence analysis. Case 2: A 69-year-old woman presented with left eye redness and foreign body sensation for 2 weeks. She was treated elsewhere initially with topical antibiotics without any improvement. On slitlamp examination, a mobile subconjunctival mass was noted. Immediate surgical removal was performed under local anesthesia, revealing a live 50-mm-long worm. It was identified as Dirofilaria hongkongensis. Both patients had normal systemic workup results and remained symptom-free after surgical removal of the nematode. Clinical findings, diagnosis, pathogenesis, and management are discussed.
  
  
  
  Ophthalmic dirofilariasis is a rare condition. Clinicians should be aware of this disease entity so that prompt diagnosis and treatment could be offered to the patients.
authors.affiliation: *MRCSEd †FRCSEd ‡MD §FRCS Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China (RPWK, PPCC, VJ, ALY); Prince of Wales Hospital and Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, Hong Kong, China (RPWK, PPCC, VJ, ALY); and Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Hong Kong, China (JKML, AC-tF, VJ, VWYW).
authors.forename: Rachel Pui Wai
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: Prudence Po Chee
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Jasmine Kee Ming
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Andrew Chung-Tin
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fok
authors.forename: Vishal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jhanji
authors.forename: Victoria Wing Yee
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Alvin L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000601:surgery; D060348:Dirofilaria repens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000601:surgery; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D010808:Physical Examination; D000072776:Slit Lamp Microscopy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids