Human proliferative sparganosis is a rare parasitic disease in which the larval cestodes of unknown species proliferate in the various organs in the whole body. The authors describe a patient with innumerable parasites in the buttock and pelvic bone. The parasites were of globular or egg-like forms, up to 3 mm in diameter. Histologically, the wavy tegument, a few layers of epidermal cells, underdeveloped muscle cells, excretory channels, and calcareous corpuscles were found in the parasites. These morphologic findings confirmed the nature of maldifferentiated plerocercoid. The serologic data suggested a close relation between Sparganum proliferum and Spirometra erinacei.
A 69 year old Japanese woman was hospitalized for emergency treatment of sudden onset of tetraplegia and somnolence. The patient had a long history of occipital pain without definite diagnosis. After admission, the patient progressively developed generalized palsy including respiratory paralysis, and died of bronchopneumonia. Autopsy revealed osteosarcoma of the cervical vertebrae with the features of Paget's disease involving the skull and the cervical vertebrae. Paget sarcoma is rare in Japan, where Paget's disease of the bone is an uncommon condition. A review of the world literature failed to reveal any reports describing Paget sarcoma of the cervical vertebrae. The present report indicates that the development of Paget sarcoma in the upper cervical vertebrae may cause life-threatening neurologic complications.
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