Sachs, Helmut G. and Heep, Markus and Gabel, Veit-Peter (1998) The removal of a Loa Loa worm in a West African tourist. KLINISCHE MONATSBLATTER FUR AUGENHEILKUNDE, 213 (6). pp. 367-369. ISSN 0023-2165,
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Background Loa Loa is a chronic parasitemic disease which is endemic in the tropical rain forests of western africa. Vector of this disease is a mancrove fly with the name Chrysops. Besides the eye worm and skin affections a systemic infection with microfilariae is common. Patient A Westafrican tourist from Bangibe showed up at the university eye clinic. His complaints were a red eye and a mobile subconjunctival tumor (Fig. 1) that showed vermiform movements. The worm was transparent and 4-5 cm in length. After topical anaesthesia and the attempt to paralyse the worm (1) with Pilocarpine 2% it vanished. Two days later the patient showed up in the morning for the planned blood test. No worm was visible at that time but at noontime the blood test was carried out and at that time the worm was visible in the nasal conjunctiva. This time the worm was removed without delay under topical anaesthesia. The worm was fixed with a forceps through the conjunctiva which was opened for 0.5 cm. The worm was grasped with a second forceps and drawn out under massive vermiform movement. Systemic therapy was recommended with Hetrazan (Diethylcarbamazine) using Corticosteroides and Antihistamine to minimize allergic side effects by the therapy due to the systemic microfilariae blood load. Eosinophilia was 8%. Conclusions A subconjuctival Loa Loa worm can be removed under topical anaesthesia by fixing it with a forceps through the conjunctiva and opening it and grasping the worm with a second forceps. According to our experience the paralysation with Pilocarpine cannot be realized. Careful systemic therapy avoiding reported allergic side effects with Hetrazan which is not available in Germany is necessary.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | ; Loa Loa; filariasis; eye-diseases-parasitology; loiasis |
| Subjects: | 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine |
| Divisions: | Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Augenheilkunde Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Feb 2023 09:00 |
| Last Modified: | 21 Feb 2023 09:00 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/49313 |
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