Filariae in vertebral canal, report of a case / 中华儿科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To confirm diagnosis of a special case with chief complaints of abdominal pain and dyskinesia of lower extremities.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical symptoms, signs, MRI, pathological findings and the results of blood test for microfilaria were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The patient was a 6-year old girl who had abdominal pain for 10 days dyskinesia of lower extremities for 6 days accompanied by difficulty in urination and defecation. There was tenderness on T7-9 spinous process, sensory dullness below the umbilicus. Babinski's and Oppenheim's sign were bilaterally positive, and ankle clonus was positive. MRI showed space occupying change in the vertebral canal at T7-9 level. The mass of 2 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm size was removed by surgical operation and histopathological study showed obvious fibrous tissue proliferation accompanied by eosinophil, lymphocyte and neutrophil infiltration around a worm-like structure. Night time blood test performed at 2300 confirmed the presence of microfilaria.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The diagnosis of filariae in vertebral canal could be confirmed.</p>