Sparganosis: clinical and pathologic observations in ten cases

Abstract

Sparganosis is an infection, usually of subcutaneous tissues, caused by the larva of a tapeworm of the genus Spirometra. Approximately 55 cases have been reported in this country, almost exclusively from the Southeastern states. We report an additional ten cases, all of which presented as a single subcutaneous mass. Questionnaires sent to the involved patients support the concept that the most likely route of infection in man is through the drinking of impure water. The primary significance of this organism is that infestation results in a subcutaneous mass which is clinically confused with neoplastic disease.