Sparganosis is a parasitic infestation of human by plerocercoid larvae. Sparganum is usually reported to be found in the subcutaneous tissues as well as other organs, including scrotum. However, testicular sparganosis is extremely rare, because of strong capsule of tunica albuginea. An urban-living 54-yr-old Korean man presented with left scrotal pain for 6 yr. Both testes look normal physically. Ultrasonography revealed poorly defined, heterogeneous mass with increased echogenicity in the left testis. This case was misdiagnosed as testicular tumor and underwent orchiectomy, but was diagnosed as testicular sparganosis by histopathology. Sparganosis should be included for differential diagnosis of testis tumor in countries where sparganosis is prevalent.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Orchiectomy ; Sparganosis/*diagnosis/pathology/ultrasonography ; Testicular Neoplasms/diagnosis/ultrasonography ; Testis/pathology

Recent advances in radiological and serological techniques have enabled easier preoperative diagnosis of sparganosis. However, due to scarcity of cases, sparganosis has been often regarded as a disease of other etiologic origin unless the parasite is confirmed in the lesion. We experienced a case of sparganosis mimicking a varicose vein in terms of clinical manifestations and radiological findings. Sparganosis should be included among the list of differential diagnosis with the varicose vein.
Varicose Veins/*diagnosis/ultrasonography ; Thigh/*parasitology/pathology/surgery ; Sparganum/*isolation & purification ; Sparganosis/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods ; Knee/pathology/radiography ; Humans ; Female ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Animals ; Adult

Sparganosis is a parasitic infection caused by the plerocercoid tapeworm larva of the genus Spirometra. Although the destination of the larva is often a tissue or muscle in the chest, abdominal wall, extremities, eyes, brain, urinary tract, spinal canal, and scrotum, intramuscular sparganosis is uncommon and therefore is difficult to distinguish from a soft tissue tumor. We report a case of intramuscular sparganosis involving the gastrocnemius muscle in an elderly patient who was diagnosed using ultrasonography and MRI and treated by surgical excision. At approximately 1 cm near the schwannoma at the right distal sciatic nerve, several spargana worms were detected and removed.
Aged ; Animals ; Histocytochemistry ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Microscopy ; Muscle, Skeletal/*parasitology/*pathology/surgery ; Sparganosis/*diagnosis/parasitology/*pathology/surgery ; Spirometra/*isolation & purification ; Ultrasonography

A 59-year-old Korean man complained of a painless scrotal hard nodule and weak urine stream. The ultrasound scan revealed a 2.2-cm sized round heteroechogenic nodule located in the extratesticular area. Microscopic hematuria was detected in routine laboratory examinations. On scrotal exploration, multiple spargana were incidentally found in the mass and along the left spermatic cord. On cystoscopy, a 10-mm sized mucosal elevation was found in the right side of the bladder dome. After transurethral resection of the covered mucosa, larval tapeworms were removed from inside of the nodule by forceps. Plerocercoids of Spirometra erinacei was confirmed morphologically and also by PCR-sequencing analysis from the extracted tissue of the urinary bladder. So far as the literature is concerned, this is the first worm (PCR)-proven case of sparganosis in the urinary bladder.
Animals ; Cystoscopy ; DNA, Helminth/chemistry/genetics ; Hematuria/diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Scrotum/*parasitology/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; Sparganosis/*diagnosis/parasitology ; Spirometra/*isolation & purification ; Urinary Bladder Diseases/*parasitology/*pathology/surgery

Sparganosis, an infection due to the plerocercoid of Spirometra erinacei, are found worldwide but the majority of cases occur in East Asia including Korea. This report is on a recurred case of sparganosis in the subcutaneous tissue of the right lower leg 1 year after a surgical removal of a worm from a similar region. At admission, ultrasonography (USG) of the lesion strongly suggested sparganosis, and a worm was successfully removed which turned out to be a sparganum with scolex. Since sparganum has a variable life span, and may develop into a life-threatening severe case, a patient once diagnosed as sparganosis should be properly followed-up for a certain period of time. Although imaging modalities were useful for the diagnosis of sparganosis as seen in this case, serological test such as ELISA should also be accompanied so as to support the preoperative diagnosis.
Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth/blood ; Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Leg/parasitology/pathology/ultrasonography ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Sparganosis/*diagnosis/surgery ; Spirometra/*isolation & purification