Dirofilariasis involving the oral cavity: report of the first case from South America

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Laudenice Lucena Pereira, Ricardo Della Coletta, Larissa Cavalcanti Monteiro, Victor Yuri Nicolau Ferreira, Jorge Esquiche Leon, Paulo Rogério Ferreti Bonan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2015
• Subjects: Pathology; Dirofilariasis; Dentistry; Diagnosis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0025-2015; https://doaj.org/article/12717d48e7ec49d5bc7b2f99319cb6ff

Oral dirofilariasis is very rare with non-specific clinical manifestations. Here, we report the case of a 65-year-old South American woman with a submucosal nodule on her right buccal mucosa. The nodule was slightly tender and painful. Differential diagnoses included mesenchymal (lipoma or fibrolipoma, solitary fibrous tumor, and neurofibroma) or glandular benign tumors (pleomorphic adenoma) with secondary infections. We performed excisional biopsy. A histopathological examination revealed a dense fibrous capsule and a single female filarial worm showing double uterus appearance, neural plaque, well-developed musculature and intestinal apparatus. Dirofilariasis was diagnosed, and the patient was followed-up for 12 months without recurrence.