A Case of Sparganosis That Presented as a Recurrent Pericardial Effusion

Ju-Hee Lee, Gi-Hyun Kim, Sang Min Kim, Sang Yeub Lee, Won-Yik Lee, Jang-Whan Bae, Kyung-Sub Shin, Kyung-Kuk Hwang, Dong-Won Kim, Myeong-Chan Cho
2011 Korean Circulation Journal  
Sparganosis is caused by a larval tapeworm of the genus Spirometra, which commonly invades subcutaneous tissue, but less frequently invades muscle, intestines, spinal cord, and the peritoneopleural cavity. The authors managed a female patient who presented with a recurrent pericardiopleural effusion and peripheral eosinophilia. The anti-sparganum-specific IgG serum level was significantly higher than normal control levels. In this patient, sparganosis was caused by the ingestion of raw frogs in
more » ... an effort to control her thyroid disease. The recurrent pericardiopleural effusion and peripheral eosinophilia were controlled by 3 consecutive doses of praziquantel (75 mg/kg/day). The patient is doing well 4 years after presentation. Sparganosis should be considered a rare, but possible cause of recurrent pericardial effusion and peripheral eosinophilia. Immunoserologic testing using enzyme linked immunosorbent assays can be helpful in diagnosing human sparganosis, especially in cases without a subcutaneous lump or mass. Praziquantel is an alternative treatment for sparganosis in surgically-unresectable cases. (Korean Circ J 2011;41:38-42)
doi:10.4070/kcj.2011.41.1.38 pmid:21359068 pmcid:PMC3040402 fatcat:n2i4ih353vft3daroqd22do2gu