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Sparganosis
is infection with larvae of the tapeworm Sparganum
mansoni.
S. mansoni affects dogs, cats, and other carnivores. Eggs are passed into freshwater where they are ingested by copepods (eg, Cyclops). Frogs, reptiles, and various small mammals ingest them and serve as intermediate hosts. Humans can become infected by accidental ingestion of copepods from water contaminated by cat or dog feces, ingestion of inadequately cooked flesh from another intermediate host, or contact with poultices containing flesh from these sources. In humans, larvae typically migrate to subcutaneous tissue or muscle and form slowly growing masses. Other sites, including the CNS, may be involved but are much less common. Symptoms are caused by mass effect, and disease may be discovered through imaging studies.
Diagnosis is typically made after surgical removal. Praziquantel has been used to treat cerebral sparganosis, although its efficacy is undocumented.
Last full review/revision November 2005
Content last modified November 2005
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