The curious case of subcutaneous dirofilariasis mimicking a fibroma – Report of a rare disease from North India

Human dirofilariasis is a rare arthropod-borne zoonotic infection caused by a filarial nematode of the genus Dirofilaria . It typically manifests in humans as pulmonary, ocular, or subcutaneous lesions. In India, the disease is predominantly seen in the southern states, especially Kerala. Cases documented from India are mostly of ocular infection, and very few cases of subcutaneous dirofilariasis (SD) are reported. We hereby present a case of SD in a 25-year-old male, clinically diagnosed to have fibroma of the left forearm. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of SD. We present this case to reiterate that SD, though very rare in North India, should always be considered as a differential for subcutaneous swellings.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-SA

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