Intramuscular Dirofilariasis Mimicking an Orbital Metastasis in a Patient with Breast Cancer

Overview

Journal Case Rep Radiol

Publisher Wiley

Specialty Radiology

Date 2012 Sep 26

PMID 23008795

Citations 3

Authors

Brett M Henderson

Christopher H Hunt

Laurence J Eckel

Kara M Schwartz

Felix E Diehn

Bobbi S Pritt

David J Schembri Wismayer

James A Garrity

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We present the unusual case of a 74 year-old female with a history of breast cancer who presented with acute painless orbital swelling and vertical diplopia. MRI revealed a focal enhancing mass within the superior rectus muscle. As the concern for metastatic disease was high, surgical biopsy was performed and revealed an unusual mimicker of metastatic disease, the parasitic infection dirofilariasis.

Citing Articles

Ocular dirofilariasis masquerading as orbital cellulitis: A case report and review of the literature.

Kumar S, Mishra S, Bahal A, Kumar V Med J Armed Forces India. 2024; 80(5):582-585.

PMID: 39309592 PMC: 11411327. DOI: 10.1016/j.mjafi.2022.08.003.

Ocular Dirofilariasis: A Clinicopathologic Case Series and Literature Review.

Camacho M, Antonietti M, Sayegh Y, Colson J, Kunkler A, Clauss K Ocul Oncol Pathol. 2024; 10(1):43-52.

PMID: 38751499 PMC: 11095593. DOI: 10.1159/000533340.

The first case of human autochtonous subconjunctival dirofilariosis in Poland and MALT lymphoma as possible consequence of this parasitosis.

Borkowski P, Rymkiewicz G, Golebiewska J, Nestoros N, Romejko-Jarosinska J, Zarnowska-Prymek H Infect Agent Cancer. 2015; 10(1):1.

PMID: 25589901 PMC: 4293813. DOI: 10.1186/1750-9378-10-1.

References

Mulanovich E, Mulanovich V, Rolston K . A case of Dirofilaria pulmonary infection coexisting with lung cancer. J Infect. 2008; 56(4):241-3. DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2008.01.007. View

Argy N, Sabou M, Billing A, Hermsdorff C, Candolfi E, Abou-Bacar A . A First Human Case of Ocular Dirofilariosis due to Dirofilaria repens in Northeastern France. J Trop Med. 2011; 2011:698647. PMC: 3065049. DOI: 10.1155/2011/698647. View

Hemmersbach-Miller M, Delmont J, Hours C, Brouqui P . Pseudo-tumor of the lung, a rare clinical presentation of dirofilariasis. Presse Med. 2005; 34(2 Pt 1):109-10. DOI: 10.1016/s0755-4982(05)88239-9. View

Schmidt L, Dirksen U, Reiter-Owona I, Khurana C, Wiebe K, Wiewrodt R . Pulmonary dirofilariasis in a Caucasian patient with metastasised osteosarcoma in a non-endemic European region. Thorax. 2010; 66(3):270. DOI: 10.1136/thx.2010.142323. View

Eckardt A, Rana M, Essig H, Gellrich N . Orbital metastases as first sign of metastatic spread in breast cancer: case report and review of the literature. Head Neck Oncol. 2011; 3:37. PMC: 3184093. DOI: 10.1186/1758-3284-3-37. View

Otranto D, Brianti E, Gaglio G, Dantas-Torres F, Azzaro S, Giannetto S . Human ocular infection with Dirofilaria repens (Railliet and Henry, 1911) in an area endemic for canine dirofilariasis. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2011; 84(6):1002-4. PMC: 3110377. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0719. View

Simon F, Lopez-Belmonte J, Marcos-Atxutegi C, Morchon R, Martin-Pacho J . What is happening outside North America regarding human dirofilariasis?. Vet Parasitol. 2005; 133(2-3):181-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2005.03.033. View

Angunawela R, Ataullah S, Whitehead K, Sullivan T, Rosser P . Dirofilarial infection of the orbit. Orbit. 2003; 22(1):41-6. DOI: 10.1076/orbi.22.1.41.14008. View

Fleck R, Kurz W, Quade B, Geginat G, Hof H . Human dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria repens mimicking a scrotal tumor. Urology. 2008; 73(1):209.e1-3. DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2008.02.015. View

10.

Nath R, Gogoi R, Bordoloi N, Gogoi T . Ocular dirofilariasis. Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2010; 53(1):157-9. DOI: 10.4103/0377-4929.59213. View

11.

Stringfellow G, Francis I, Coroneo M, Walker J . Orbital dirofilariasis. Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2002; 30(5):378-80. DOI: 10.1046/j.1442-9071.2002.00562.x. View

12.

Groell R, Ranner G, Uggowitzer M, Braun H . Orbital dirofilariasis: MR findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1999; 20(2):285-6. PMC: 7056102. View