Oral Cysticercosis- A Diagnostic Dilemma

Abstract

Cysticercosis, a helminthic disease commonly seen in India, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Southern Africa, results from extraintestinal encystation of the larval form of Taenia solium. It is a condition in which man acts as intermediate host instead of definitive host. The most frequent sites of cysticercosis are subcutaneous layers, brain, muscles, heart, liver, lungs, and peritoneum. Oral cysticercosis is considered rare and cause cystic swellings or nodules in the mouth and a precise clinical diagnosis is not usually established. Here, we report a case of oral cysticercosis in a 32-year-old female occurring in the mentalis muscle presenting as asymptomatic nodule.

Taenia Solium: A Rare Expression in Oral Cavity

“…Oral cysticercosis is a rare event and usually an asymptomatic condition. The most common intraoral sites include tongue (42.15%), lips (26.15%) and buccal mucosa (18.9%) [8]. Although any site in the oral cavity may be involved, a review of the reported cases has shown that tongue is the most common site, as reported by Krishnamoorthy et al [1].…”

Cysticercosis

“…Cases of auto-inoculation have been seen in patients with poor hygienic practices, or eggs can be regurgitated into the stomach. [ 3 ]…”

“…Association with pain can be seen in cases of secondary infection. [ 3 ] The treatment includes surgical enucleation for solitary lesions and potent anti-helminthics like praziquantel and albendazole can be used for symptomatic or disseminated cases or where surgical intervention is risky or not possible, e.g., Neurocysticercosis. [ 2 ]…”

“…Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer Blot (EITB) are the serological tests used for this purpose. [ 3 ] Additionally, stool examination can also reveal the presence of eggs and/or proglottids of cysticercosis cellulosae. [ 2 ] Hence, the diagnosis of cysticercosis can be challenging, if the larva cannot be identified in the tissue sections.…”