First reports of subcutaneous sparganosis in Sri Lanka.

OBJECTIVE

To report and create awareness of sparganosis, a parasitic zoonosis caused by a larval stage of Spirometra sp.

SETTING

Two patients with non-tender subcutaneous lumps. DIAGNOSIS CRITERIA: Morphology of solid cestode larva in excision biopsies.

CONCLUSIONS

Although these two instances were innocuous, infection is potentially dangerous as larvae are long lived and could invade vital organs. The most likely source of infection in Sri Lanka is ingestion of the infected first intermediate host, Cyclops, in water.