A Case of Inguinal Sparganosis Mimicking Myeloid Sarcoma

We report here a case of inguinal sparganosis, initially regarded as myeloid sarcoma, diagnosed in a patient undergone allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation (HSCT). A 56-year-old male patient having myelodysplastic syndrome was treated with allogeneic HSCT after myeloablative conditioning regimen. At day 5 post-HSCT, the patient complained of a painless palpable mass on the left scrotum and inguinal area. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography revealed suspected myeloid sarcoma. Gun-biopsy was performed, and the result revealed eosinophilic infiltrations without malignancy. Subsequent serologic IgG antibody test was positive for sparganum. Excisional biopsy as a therapeutic diagnosis was done, and the diagnosis of sparganosis was confirmed eventually. This is the first report of sparganosis after allogeneic HSCT mimicking myeloid sarcoma, giving a lesson that the physicians have to consider the possibility of sparganosis in this clinical situation and perform adequate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Enzymatic N-glycan analysis of 31 kDa molecule in plerocercoid of Spirometra mansoni (sparganum) and its antigenicity after chemical oxidation

A highly specific antigenic protein of 31 kDa from plerocercoid of Spirometra mansoni (sparganum) was obtained by gelatin affinity and Mono Q anion-exchange column chromatography. The purified 31 kDa protein was subjected to N-glycan enzymatic digestion for structural analysis. The relative electrophoretic mobility was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, before and after digestion. On SDS-PAGE after enzymatic digestion, the 31 kDa protein showed a molecular shift of approximately 2 kDa, which indicated the possession of complex N-linked oligosaccharides (N-glycosidase F sensitive) but not of high-mannose oligosaccharides (endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, non-sensitive). Chemically periodated 31 kDa protein showed statistically non-significant changes with human sparganosis sera by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Therefore, the dominant epitopes of the 31 kDa molecule in human sparganosis were found to be mainly polypeptide, while N-glycans of the antigenic molecule in sparganum was minimal in anti-carbohydrate antibody production.

Intraosseous proliferative sparganosis: a case report and review of the literature.

Intraosseous proliferative sparganosis is an extremely rare parasitic disease in which the larvae of incomplete differentiated sparganum proliferate in the human bone. We present the first case of intraosseous proliferative sparganosis arising in the long bone. The patient was a 51-year-old man who complained of a slow growing painful mass on his right leg. The radiographic findings showed an infiltrative osteolytic lesion with speckled calcification at the proximal tibia the clinical diagnosis of which favored chondrosarcoma. Incisional biopsy revealed an innumerable number of small globular shapes, whitish parasites. Histologically, the parasites were composed of a few layers of smooth muscle and several calcerous bodies that were enclosed within a single row of tegumental cells. The latter exhibited a wavy appearance and coated with microvilli. These morphologic findings confirmed the nature of these maldifferentiated larvae. The patient was treated by partial resection of the lesion. This should remind clinicians that parasitic infection of the bone can produce a tumor-like lesion.

Spargana infection of frogs in Malaysia.

Frogs caught from two States (Selangor and Langkawi) in Malaysia were examined for spargana of Spirometra sp. Infected frogs usually show no marks of infection but some had swelling and bleeding at the infection site. The size and weight of the infected frogs did not correlate with the infection status. The infection status in relation to human health is discussed.

Esparganosis humana en el Ecuador: informe de un caso en la provincia de Esmeraldas / Human sparganosis in Ecuador: report of a case in the province of Esmeraldas

Se informa el segundo caso de esparganosis humana en Ecuador, en un paciente de sexo masculino, indígena Chachi, procedente de la provincia de Esmeraldas, quien presentó una nodulación localizada en la región escapular izquierda. En su extirpación se demostró la presencia de un céstodo clasificado com Spirometra, no siendo posible determinar la especie