Re: Parasite Cases: Lung Flukes - Part 2

Hello Peggyaus:

Thank you. Yes, here is what was reported.

"The patient was treated uneventfully for paragonimiasis with a standard course of praziquantel. The patient's pretherapy brain MRI was unremarkable for cerebral involvement. Follow-up CT at 4 weeks showed significant reduction in the centrally located abnormal, branching hypodense structures."


Praziquantel seemed to be the drug of choice for this case.



Also, according to this case report the parasite is a lung fluke that migrated elsewhere making this a rare case.

"Paragonimiasis is a parasitic infectious disease caused by the Paragonimus genus, a lung fluke. It is found worldwide but is endemic in areas of Asia as the result of consumption of raw freshwater crab or crayfish. Human infection in the United States is rare [1]. Paragonimiasis classically presents with pulmonary manifestations caused by the migration pattern of the juvenile worms [2]. Ectopic infection may occur and most commonly involves the brain and subcutaneous tissue. Involvement of the liver is rare.

Symptoms of paragonimiasis correspond to parasitic migration and maturation. Pulmonary involvement produces cough, hemoptysis, and chest pain. Ectopic infection patterns include cutaneous manifestations due to migration into the skin or cerebral manifestations due to migration to the brain. Rare migration from the abdominal cavity into the liver causes hepatic damage."

As far as I'm concern, all parasites are unpredictable!
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