Case of Lingual Cysticercosis and Review of Literature

Abstract

A 30-year-old female presented with a painless solitary swelling at right lateral border of tongue of 2-month duration. Fine-needle aspiration cytology was nonconclusive. Excision biopsy was done. Histopathology revealed cysticercosis cellulosae and parasite visualized in the slide with tongue muscles. Lingual cysticercosis is rare and therefore its literature is reviewed and discussed.

Isolated lingual cysticercosis: A rare case diagnosed on cytology

“…The eggs rupture on reaching the alimentary tract of pig and release oncospheres which penetrate through wall and reach systemic circulation, from where it lodges into muscle and various organs and develop into larvae. Eating raw contaminated pork serves as a mode of transmission to humans …”

“…In the differential diagnosis of oral lesions fibroma, lipoma or pleomorphic adenoma should be considered . On the other extreme is neurocysticercosis which presents with seizures and other symptoms depending on the region of brain involved …”

Oral cysticercosis: a clinical dilemma

“…Cysticercosis is an infection with cysticercus cellulosae, the larval stage of T solium or pork tape worm 1 8 12 . T solium passes its life cycle in two hosts, the definitive host is human who harbours adult worm and intermediate host is pig which harbours the larval stage 1 13.…”

“…This lives attached to the wall of small intestine where it is fully grown and may reach a length upto 7 m. Proglottids are frequently detached from the distal end of the worm and are excreted in the faeces 15. Each proglottids contains 50 000–60 000 fertile eggs, which remain viable for long time in water, soil and vegetation 12 15. These eggs may infect pigs and cycle goes on1 16 or alternately human being gets infected by parasite in three ways:

Ingestion of food or water contaminated by infected human faeces containing T solium eggs;

Oral transmission of eggs via the hands or carriers of adult worm;

Internal autoinfection by regurgitation of eggs into the stomach after reverse peristalsis 1 8

…”

Emerging and Re-Emerging Parasitic Zoonoses in India

“…Comparatively lower occurrence of NCC in Southern states may be attributed to the fact that, in South the use of raw vegetables as salads are rare compared to that practiced in North (Rajashekhar, 2004). However, recently there is an alarming increase in the case reports across the country from various states viz., Orissa , Madhya Pradesh (Kinger et al, 2012), Maharashtra (Bothale et al, 2012), Uttar Pradesh (Yaquoob et al, 2009;Parashari et al, 2012), Punjab (Bal et al, 2012), Manipur (Devi et al, 2007c), Chandigarh (Bhalla et al, 2008), West Bengal (Bandyopadhyay and Sen, 2009), Karnataka (Banu and Veena, 2011;Sathyanarayanan et al, 2011;Netravathi et al, 2011;Suchitha et al, 2012) and Tamil Nadu (Ratra et al, 2010).…”