A case of ectopic parasitism: Fasciola hepatica larvae burrow through a human brain and mimic cerebral aneurysm

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 101; no. 10; pp. 1051 - 1052
• Main Authors: Ying, Ma, Xiaosu, Hu, Wang, Bin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2007; Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral Angiography - methods; Cerebral Hemorrhage - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Hemorrhage - parasitology; Cerebrum; Child; China; Diagnosis, Differential; Eye; Fasciola hepatica; Fascioliasis - diagnosis; General aspects; Headache Disorders - parasitology; Helminths; Humans; Infectious diseases; Intracranial Aneurysm - diagnostic imaging; Larva; Larva Migrans - diagnosis; Male; Medical sciences; Nausea - parasitology; Neurology; Parasitic diseases; Parasitic eye infections; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Vomiting - parasitology; Asia; China; Eye; Parasitic eye infections; Fasciola hepatica; China; Helminths; Cerebrum; Cardiovascular disease; Trematoda; Vascular disease; Tropical medicine; Child; Cerebrovascular disease; Human; Nervous system diseases; Plathelmintha; Parasitosis; Differential diagnostic; Cerebral disorder; Infection; Case study; Larva; Central nervous system disease; Helmintha; Parasitism; Ectopia; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2007.05.013

An 8-year-old boy from Xuan-Han County, Sichuan Province, China presented with 6 months headache, nausea and vomiting. A computed tomography scan revealed multiple cerebral hemorrhages. Etiology of the cerebral hemorrhages was investigated by digital subtraction angiography, and cerebral aneurysm was entertained. Twenty-six days after his admission to the hospital, a flatworm emerged from the right eye of the patient. The worm was identified as Fasciola hepatica, based on the morphological characteristics of the worm.