Dirofilaria in the Abdominal Cavity of a Man in Japan
Abstract
A case of human dirofilariasis of the abdominal cavity is reported from Japan. The patient, a 74-year-old man, died of liver cancer; postmortem examination revealed a granulomatous mass on the mesentery. In histologic sections there were cross-sections of a mature female nematode identified as a Dirofilaria. The cuticle had a smooth surface and consisted of four distinct layers. The inner cuticular layer had internal lateral longitudinal ridges, and the musculature of the body wall was of the high polymyarian type. On the basis of morphology of the worm, it is suggested that this may represent the first human case of Dirofilaria immitis occurring in the abdominal cavity.
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In humans, dirofilariasis manifests as subcutaneous nodule, ocular or pulmonary dirofilariasis, and there are reports of unusual body sites including orbital area, liver, spermatic cord and abdominal cavity.
“In humans, the disease manifests as a subcutaneous nodule, ocular or pulmonary dirofilariasis, but there are several reports about presentation in unusual body sites as well, including orbital area, liver, spermatic cord and abdominal cavity [8-11].”
From Description of five dirofilariasis cases in South Hungary and review epidemiology of this disease for the country (2015) · cites this paper as [11]
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Public health aspects of dirofilariasis in the United States
Theis, J. H. (2005) · Veterinary Parasitology · doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2005.04.007 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Rani, P. A. M. A., Irwin, P., Gatne, M. L., Coleman, G. T., & Traub, R. J. (2010) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/1756-3305-3-28 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
“Sporadic cases of immature heartworms in unusual locations in the human body such as the eye [13], mesentery [14], cerebral artery [15], spermatic cord [16] and liver [17] have also been reported.”
Canine and Feline Parasitology: Analogies, Differences, and Relevance for Human Health
Morelli, S., Diakou, A., Cesare, A. D., Colombo, M., & Traversa, D. (2021) · Clinical Microbiology Reviews · doi:10.1128/cmr.00266-20 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
A survey of canine filarial diseases of veterinary and public health significance in India
Rani, P. A. M. A., Irwin, P., Gatne, M. L., Coleman, G. T., McInnes, L. M., & Traub, R. J. (2010) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/1756-3305-3-30 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
“Sporadic reports of the immature heartworm in unusual locations such as the eye, mesentery, cerebral artery, spermatic cord and liver also exist [43-47].”
BackgroundThe First Human Case of Hepatic Dirofilariasis
Kim, M. K., Kim, C. H., Yeom, B. W., Park, S. H., Choi, S. Y., & Choi, J. S. (2002) · Journal of Korean Medical Science · doi:10.3346/jkms.2002.17.5.686 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
“By analyzing over 448 cases of human dirofilariasis (1, 5), most of them are pulmonary or subcutaneous infections but there have been a few reports of human dirofilariasis in unusual organs, such as large vessels, mesentery, peritoneal cavity, and spermatic cord (6-9).”
Case report: Unusual location of Dirofilaria immitis in a 28-year-old man necessitates orchiectomy.
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Human Pulmonary Dirofilariasis: A Review for the Clinicians
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Animal and Human Dirofilariasis in India and Sri Lanka: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Thilakarathne, S. S., Yuen, K. Y., Hassan, M. M., Yahathugoda, T. C., & Abdullah, S. (2023) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani13091551 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“immitis has been found in the eye [121,125], reproductive system [126], and gastrointestinal system [127,128].”
BackgroundHuman dirofilariasis in Japan.
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Ectopic Migration of an Adult Heartworm in a Dog with Dirofilariasis
Oh, H.-W., Jun, H.-K., You, M., HAYASAKI, M., & Song, K. (2008) · Korean Journal of Parasitology · doi:10.3347/kjp.2008.46.3.171 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Human dirofilariasis – A potentially significant nematode zoonosis in an era of climate change
Momčilović, S., Jovanović, A., & Gasser, R. B. (2025) · Journal of Infection · doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2025.106460 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Human dirofilariasis with reactive arthritis — Case report and review of the literature
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“Usually, the worm dies and causes local vasculitis, which may be followed by a granulomatous reaction [4].”
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Human Dirofilariasis of the Bladder
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DIROFILARIAL INFECTION IN HUMAN LUNGS
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DIROFILARIOSE CANINA: REVISÃO DE UMA ZOONOSE EMERGENTE
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Offner, F. A. (2013) · Pathologie · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-02322-4_41
- Authors
- Tada, I., Sakaguchi, Y., & Eto, K.
- Venue
- The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Published
- 1979-11
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 988-990
- ISSN
- 0002-9637 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2319259826
- Cited by
- 24
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 0.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Parasites and Host Interactions
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Helminth infection and control
- Keywords
- Dirofilaria immitis, human dirofilariasis, abdominal cavity, nematode morphology, cuticle structure, body wall muscle, liver cancer, first human case
- MeSH terms
- Abdomen, Aged, Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilariasis, Granuloma, Humans, Male, Mesentery
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