TITLE:
A Brazilian Case of Tongue Cysticercosis
AUTHORS:
Faber Neves Santos, Fabine Neves Santos Soares, Cláudia Leal Macedo, Renata Oliveira de Souza, Aline Rode Santos, Clarissa Araújo Silva Gurgel, Fred Luciano Neves Santos
KEYWORDS:
Human Cysticercosis; Oral Infection; Histopathological Diagnosis
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.2 No.4,
December
11,
2012
ABSTRACT: Human cysticercosis is a neglected tropical parasitic disease due to the tapeworm Taenia solium, common in endemic developing countries. Cysticerci are most commonly found within the central nervous system, but they may also localize in a variety of tissues, including the tongue. Here, we described a case of a 21-year-old woman with a painless, firm, smooth, mucosa-colored nodule located in the lateral region of the tongue was seen by a dentist. An excisional biopsy was performed, and the surgical specimen was examined histomorphologically. The analysis revealed the presence of a cystic lesion containing a serrated larva (Cysticercus cellulosae) as well as a cystic capsule with predominantly mononuclear inflammation. The morphological findings were consistent with the diagnosis of cysticercosis of the tongue. The patient was followed for 22 months and showed no signs of recurrence.