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previously visited 20 YO MALE WITH REMOTE HISTORY OF FEVER AND PAIN IN LEG Random Case
Authored By: Virginia Mason Medical Center, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Washington, USA.
Patient: 20 year old
History: 20 yo African immigrant male with knee pain, remote history of pain and fever
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Findings: Coarse calcifications in the soft tissues above the knees
Diagnosis: Dracunculiasis
Discussion:

Dracunculiasis refers to infection by the guinea fire worm. It is contracted by drinking water that contains daphnia (water fleas) that contain the larval form of the worm. After ingestion the worm burrows into the soft tissues and matures. When ready to lay eggs, the female worm (which can be a meter long!) moves to the SQ tissues of the leg and incites ans intense burning sensation. Victims place the area in water to cool it off. The female them emerges and lays eggs in the water.
At this point the worm must be carefully wrapped around something like a matchstick and removed 1 cm / day to avoid breakage followed by infection and calcification (as happened in this case).

References: http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Dracunculiasis.asp?body=Frames/A-F/Dracunculiasis/body_Dracunculiasis_page1.htm
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Additional Details:

Case Number: 19201Last Updated: 06-23-2002
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Anatomy: Other   Pathology: Infection
Modality: Conventional RadiographAccess Level: Readable by all users
Keywords: dracunculiasis
Case has been viewed 1341 times.

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