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Case Reports
. 2024 May 7;16(5):e59808.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.59808. eCollection 2024 May.

An Unusual Encounter: Microfilaria Incidentally Detected in the Bone Marrow Aspirate of a Chronic Kidney Disease Patient

Prima S Lakra  1 , Jitendra K Sinha  2 , Ujjawal Khurana  2 , Ashwani Tandon  2 , Rajnish Joshi  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

An Unusual Encounter: Microfilaria Incidentally Detected in the Bone Marrow Aspirate of a Chronic Kidney Disease Patient

Prima S Lakra et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Lymphatic filariasis is endemic in a few states of India and is one of the most common public health concerns. Wuchereria bancrofti (W. bancrofti) is the most common parasite that causes lymphatic filariasis in India. Microfilariae have been commonly found in the peripheral blood and body fluid, as well as demonstrated in fine needle aspirates (FNA) and bronchial cytology. They have been rarely reported in bone marrow aspirates. Due to the nocturnal periodicity of W. bancrofti, it may be missed in peripheral blood during the day. Though peripheral eosinophilia is a presenting feature of filariasis, it may be absent in the majority of cases, as in this case. We report an incidental finding of W. bancrofti in the bone marrow aspirate of a 72-year-old male who had chronic kidney disease.

Keywords: bone marrow; chronic kidney disease (ckd); filariasis; kidney disease; microfilaria; w. bancrofti; wuchereria bancrofti.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Bone marrow aspirate showing microfilaria (Giemsa stain, 10x)
Figure 2
Figure 2. Bone marrow aspirate showing curved, pointed-tail microfilaria (Giemsa stain, 100x)
Figure 3
Figure 3. Peripheral smear showing microfilaria with a pointed tail (Leishman stain, 40x)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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