Toxocariasis Suspected of Having Infiltrated Directly from the Liver to the Lung through the Diaphragm

Intern Med. 2019 Sep 15;58(18):2737-2741. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.2716-19. Epub 2019 Jun 7.

Abstract

A 37-year-old woman presented to our hospital with mild abdominal pain experienced for 2 months and hepatic nodules in segments 3 and 8. Peripheral blood eosinophilia was observed, and toxocariasis was serologically diagnosed. Seventeen days after the first imaging evaluation, a new lesion was found in segment 9 of the right lung, which was contiguous through the diaphragm to the hepatic nodule in segment 8. After treatment with albendazole, the liver and lung nodules disappeared. We suspect that larvae had directly invaded the lung from the liver, through the diaphragm.

Keywords: Toxocara canis; diaphragm; liver nodule; pulmonary nodule; toxocariasis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Pain
  • Adult
  • Albendazole / therapeutic use
  • Anthelmintics / therapeutic use
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Diaphragm
  • Eosinophilia
  • Female
  • Hepatitis C / complications
  • Hepatitis C / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Larva Migrans, Visceral / complications
  • Larva Migrans, Visceral / diagnosis*
  • Larva Migrans, Visceral / drug therapy
  • Liver Diseases, Parasitic / complications
  • Liver Diseases, Parasitic / diagnostic imaging*
  • Liver Diseases, Parasitic / drug therapy
  • Lung Diseases, Parasitic / complications
  • Lung Diseases, Parasitic / diagnostic imaging*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Toxocariasis / complications
  • Toxocariasis / diagnosis
  • Toxocariasis / drug therapy

Substances

  • Anthelmintics
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Albendazole