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Case Reports
. 2025 Nov 1;17(11):e95886.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.95886. eCollection 2025 Nov.

Intraocular Gnathostomiasis Manifested as a Unilateral Panuveitis

Chansathya Khieu  1   2 , Kosal Thay  3 , Monineat Sim  3 , Meng Ngy  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Intraocular Gnathostomiasis Manifested as a Unilateral Panuveitis

Chansathya Khieu et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

A 50-year-old Cambodian man presented with unilateral blurred vision that developed shortly after an ischemic stroke. Initial ocular examination showed anterior uveitis, mild retinal vasculopathy with vitreous hemorrhage. Two days later, a live white worm was observed embedded in the iris, migrating through the iris tissue and leaving multiple tracks, causing increased intraocular pressure and secondary glaucoma. A pre-operative diagnosis of intraocular parasitic infection was made, and the worm was surgically extracted. The specimen was identified as Gnathostoma spinigerum, and eventually this was diagnosed as intraocular gnathostomiasis.

Keywords: anterior uveitis; gnathostoma spinigerum; intraocular gnathostomiasis; secondary glaucoma; vitreous hemorrhage.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Informed consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Fundus of the left eye presenting white streak and vitreous opacity
a, b, c, and d show vitreous opacity and hemorrhage with multiple white streak across the posterior pole of left retina
Figure 2
Figure 2. White worm-like lesion and iris holes (day 1)
Figure 3
Figure 3. Presentation of parasite stuck in iris, shifting location pre-operation (day 2)
a shows the left eye with a dilated pupil, traumatic iris, and cataract formation. b shows a zoom-in photo of the left eye anterior segment, focusing on a parasite embedded in the iris
Figure 4
Figure 4. Fundus of left eye, three weeks post-operatively along with anti-parasite and anti-inflammation treatment
a, b, c, and d show the left fundus photograph post-operatively with less vitreous opacity and disappearance of white streaks across the retina
Figure 5
Figure 5. Microscopic image of Gnathostoma spinigerum
a, b, and c show sectoral cuts of Gnathostoma spp. d shows the full image of parasite by 4x objective lens microscope
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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