Capillaria hepatica (syn. Calodium hepaticum) as a Cause of Asymptomatic Liver Mass

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2021 May 17;105(1):204-206. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0120.

Abstract

Capillaria hepatica (syn. Calodium hepaticum) is a parasitic nematode of rodents, rarely infecting humans. An asymptomatic Israeli adult male with extensive travel history was diagnosed with a liver mass on routine post-thymectomy follow-up. Imaging and computer tomography (CT) guided biopsy were inconclusive. Surgical excision revealed an eosinophilic granuloma with fragments of a nematode suspected to be C. hepatica. Molecular methods verified the diagnosis, and the patient was treated empirically. This is the first case of hepatic capillariasis described in Israel, and the first to be diagnosed using molecular methods.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Asymptomatic Diseases / therapy*
  • Enoplida / isolation & purification*
  • Enoplida Infections / diagnosis*
  • Granuloma / diagnosis*
  • Granuloma / diagnostic imaging*
  • Granuloma / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Israel
  • Liver Diseases, Parasitic / diagnosis*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Treatment Outcome