Parasitosis of the face skin: a case report

Abstract

Introduction. Dirofilariosis is caused by the filarial nematodes Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens and Dirofilaria immitis. The vectors are mosquitoes of the Culicidae family of the genus Anopheles, Aedes and Culex. Case presentation. We present the case of a 47-year-old woman, under treatment for suspected atheroma of the facial skin of the eye and nose. The patient presented to medical check-up without symptoms of pain or discomfort. After histological examination of the lesions, the diagnosis of “dirofilariosis repens” was established, a disease extremely rare in Bulgaria. Conclusions. Dirofilariasis repens is a parasitosis, with few cases reported in Bulgaria. It is believed to be a consequence of being bitten by insects from the Mediterranean region. Due to the nature of the disease and the small number of cases in Bulgaria, the diagnosis is difficult. The primary diagnoses are: neoplasms, lymphadenitis of unknown etiology, hydrocele, lipoma, dermoid cyst, fibroadenoma, neurofibroma, allergic conjunctivitis. In this case, the removal of the tumour and histological examination of the removed parasites were made, which guarantees diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords

• parasitosis
• dirofilariasis
• dirofilaria repens