Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Aberrant sparganosis in cat caused by Spirometra mansoni (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae): a case report.
- Journal:
- BMC veterinary research
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Tokiwa, Toshihiro et al.
- Affiliation:
- Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University · Japan
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old male domestic cat developed a growing mass on the right side of its face over the course of a month. Tests showed that this mass contained unusual larvae from a type of tapeworm called Spirometra mansoni, which is typically found in the intestines of cats and dogs. This case is notable because proliferative sparganosis, a condition where these larvae cause abnormal tissue growth, is very rare in cats. This is the first confirmed instance of such a condition caused by this specific tapeworm in a cat.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sparganosis is a rare zoonotic disease caused by plerocercoid larvae of the genera Spirometra or Sparganum (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae). The larvae of Spirometra generally do not undergo asexual reproduction, whereas those of Sparganum can induce proliferative lesions in infected tissues. This paper presents an unusual case of proliferative sparganosis due to infection with Spirometra mansoni in a cat, normally considered a definitive host of the species. CASE PRESENTATION: A 9-year-old male domestic cat was presented with a mass on the right side of the face that underwent progressive enlargement for 1 month. The morphological and histopathological examinations revealed multiple asexual proliferative cestode larvae in the lesions, suggestive of proliferative sparganosis. Next-generation sequencing analysis of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens of surgically excised tissue indicated that the worm was Spirometra mansoni. CONCLUSION: Although S. mansoni a common tapeworm species found in the small intestine of domestic cats and dogs in Japan, proliferative sparganosis is extremely rare. This is the first confirmed case of proliferative sparganosis due to infection with S. mansoni in cat.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38643141/