A case of Diphyllobothrium latum infection with a brief review of diphyllobothriasis in the Republic of Korea

ABSTRACT

A case of Diphyllobothrium latum infection in a 49-year old man is described, and diphyllobothriasis latum in the Republic of Korea is briefly reviewed. An incomplete strobila of a tapeworm, 95 cm in length, without scolex and neck, was spontaneously discharged in the feces of a patient. On the basis of morphologic characteristics of the worm and eggs, the worm was identified as D. latum. The patient was successfully treated with a single dose (15 mg/kg) of praziquantel. The most probable source of infection was salmon flesh according to the past history of the patient. The first case of D. latum infection was documented in 1971, and this is the 43rd recorded case in the Republic of Korea. The 43 cases were briefly reviewed. The patients' main complaints were gastrointestinal troubles, such as mild abdominal pain, indigestion, and diarrhea, and discharge of tapeworm segments in the feces. The suspected infection sources included raw or improperly cooked flesh of fresh or brackish water fish, including the perch, mullet, salmon, and trout.