Medical Journal of Australia
Volume 161, Issue 4, 1994, Pages 263-264

Cerebral sparganosis in an East Timorese refugee (Article)

Munckhof W.J. , Grayson M.L.* , Susil B.J. , Pullar M.J. , Turnidge J.
  • a Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Vic. 3168, Australia
  • b Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Vic. 3168, Australia
  • c Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Vic. 3168, Australia
  • d Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Vic. 3168, Australia
  • e Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Vic. 3168, Australia

Abstract

Objective: To report the first case of cerebral sparganosis diagnosed in Australia. Clinical features: A 23-year-old East Timorese refugee, whose diet before migration included raw snakes and frogs, presented with a generalised tonic-clonic seizure and a nine-month history of episodic left hemianaesthesia. Computerised axial tomography of the brain showed a right frontal lesion, which was excised, and histological examination demonstrated changes typical of sparganosis. Intervention and outcome: Excision of the lesion resulted in cure. Postoperative eosinophilia and a subcutaneous nodule presumed to be due to disseminated sparganosis resolved following a course of praziquantel. Conclusion: Clinicians should consider the possibility of unusual parasitic infections in refugees who present with intracranial space-occupying lesions, especially those from developing countries. A dietary history may aid the diagnosis.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Eosinophilia food processing parasitosis refugee Australia developing country clinical feature histology human Refugees Frontal Lobe diet drug efficacy biopsy male frog case report Tomography, X-Ray Computed Brain Diseases subcutaneous nodule diphyllobothriasis brain disease brain tomography Sparganosis snake Article adult praziquantel computer assisted tomography postoperative complication seizure
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0027934588&partnerID=40&md5=508be6b9670f3711664e310702c93652
ISSN: 0025729X
Cited by: 10
Original Language: English