This report describes a rare case of ophthalmic dirofilariasis in a 68-year-old
woman with red and foreign body sensation in the pterygium on her right eye. Slit lamp
examination demonstrated a long-slender worm moving in her pterygium. The worm was
removed surgically and then identified as Diroflaria repens by sequence analysis of the
small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU) gene. The situation of dirofilariasis in Vietnam has
been reviewed. Since the first described case in 2010 there have been thirteen cases
reported that suggested the emerging trend of the disease. Most of the documented cases
of human dirofilariasis recorded in Vietnam presented with ocular infections and the
responsible agent was D. repens. With the increase of reported cases of human, much more
attention should be paid on control as well as diagnosis and treatment of dirofilariasis in
Vietnam.