Nougué J, Guillet G, Bibas N, Escande H, Hounieu-Ritoux H
Service de dermatologie, centre hospitalier de Montauban, 100 rue Léon-Cladel, Montauban cedex, France.
Ann Dermatol Venereol. 2011 Jan;138(1):50-3. doi: 10.1016/j.annder.2010.10.026. Epub 2010 Dec 9.
Dirofilariasis is an autochthonous disease caused by Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens, a subcutaneous parasite of dogs and other carnivorous animals. Human infection leads to a self-limiting disease that generally presents clinically as a subcutaneous nodule. We describe a case occurring outside the classical endemic Mediterranean region.
A 38-year-old woman presented with a scalp nodule present for six months. Surgery revealed a thread-like parasite identified as a female Dirofilaria repens without microfilariae.
This case points to the spread of this disease to temperate areas beyond the regions classically affected.
