• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1240-1244
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• 1992

Human sparganosis caused by Sparganum mansoni, the larval plerocercoid worm of the genus Spirometra, is not uncommon in Korea and is mostly found in subcutaneous or adipose tissue of the abdominal, thoracic wall and inguinal region, but is rarely found in the orbital cavity, brain and breast. It, at present, is a surgical disease because its diagnosis depends almost on the demonstration of the larva[e] from lesion or finding the worm section in surgical pathology specimens. We experienced a case of human sparganosis from a 48 years old woman who had a history of eating a raw frog. We report the case and review the related literatures.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2019

Sparganosis is a parasitic infestation caused by sparganum, a plerocercoid tapeworm larva of the genus Spirometra. Since the first case of human sparganosis reported in 1908, sparganosis has been a global disease, and is common in China, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries. Consumption of raw snakes, frogs, fish, or drinking contaminated beverages are sources of human infections. Human sparganosis usually manifests in subcutaneous fat in areas such as the abdomen, genitourinary tract, and limbs. Breast sparganosis cases are rare, representing less than 2% of total cases of human infections. Complete surgical extraction of the sparganum is the treatment of choice. Because of the rarity of the disease, clinical suspicion is vital to reach the diagnosis of breast sparganosis. Here we report 2 rare cases of breast sparganosis presenting with a painless breast lump, both treated with surgical excision and sparganum extraction.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 2000

Antigenic components in the crude extracts of Spirometra mansoni plerocercoid were analyzed in early experimental infections and in IgG subclass observed in clinical sparganosis. By IgG immunoblot, sera obtained serially from experimental mice, fed 5 spargana each, were reacted with the crude extracts. Protein bands at 36-26 kDa and 103 kDa showed positive reactions since two weeks after infection. In a differential immunoblot, in which a monospecific antibody against sparganum chymase at 36 kDa was pre-treated, the reactions at 36-26 kDa disappeared, indicating that the sparganum chymase and its degradation products invoked IgG antibody reactions. When 69 patients sera of human sparganosis were examined for their IgG subclass responses, IgG4 levels showed the highest reaction which was followed by IgG 1 The IgG4 antibody also reacted mainly with 36-31 kDa protease. These results indicate that 36 kDa chymase of 5. nansoni plerocercoid is the main antigenic component inducing Ige antibody response in early stage of experimental sparganosis and for specific IgG subclass reactions in human sparganosis.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.44
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• pp.273.1-273.15
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• 2018

Background: Sparganosis is a larval cestodiasis caused by the plerocercoid of Spirometra spp. Since the first description of human sparganosis in 1924, several hundred cases have been reported in Korea. However, systematic approaches for literature surveys of Korean sparganosis have seldom appeared. Methods: We searched publicly available databases such as PubMed, Research Information Sharing Service, and Korea Medical Citation Index with relevant Medical Subject Headings. Results: At least 438 Korean sparganosis cases have been described from 1924 to 2015. Preoperative diagnosis has been significantly increased since the 1980s due to popularization of serological and imaging diagnostics. Cases were largely detected from fifth decades in general, but cerebral sparganosis was detected in relatively young age groups (third and fourth decades). Sparganosis was prevalent in men (75.9%). Consumption of frog/snake and drinking unfiltered water were found in 63.4% and 16.9% of patients, respectively. Most frequently affected sites were subcutaneous tissues (49.9%), followed by the central nervous system (36.2%). Involvements of visceral organs (7.6%), ocular regions (3.6%), and muscles (2.7%) were noticed. In women, breast sparganosis constituted a large proportion (34.2%). Sparganosis associated with immunocompromised patients has recently been reported. Conclusion: Sparganosis has been continuously reported in Korea during the past 90 years, although its incidence has decreased during the last 20 years. The disease is mostly characterized by subcutaneous nodule, but infection of the worm in vital organs often results in serious illness. Continuous awareness is warranted to monitor sparganosis occurrence and associated clinical consequences.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.429-440
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• 1989

Spirometru erinocei의 유충인 sparganum에서 추출한 조항원 단백질을 항원으로 하여 sparganosis, cysticercosis, hydatidosis환자의 IgG 항체와 정상인의 IgG 항체를 혈청반응시켜 ELISA와 EITB에 의해 교차반응을 일으키는 비 특이항원 성분과 종특이항원 성분을 추구하였다. 1. sparganum에서 0.01 M PBS (PH 7.4)로 추출한 조항원 단백질을 SDS-PAGE로 전개하여 290 Kd에서 23 Kd범위의 분자량을 가진 25개의 단백질이 분획되었다. 2. sparganum의 조항원을 항원으로하여 ELISA로 sparganosis, cysticercosis, hydatidosis 환자의 190 항체와의 혈청 반응치는 sparganosis환자에게서는 0.44 $\pm$ 0.07에서 1.90 $\pm$ 0.03으로 negative control normal sera의 0.D (0.15 $\pm$ 0.03)를 기준으로 하였을 때 모두 양성이며 민감도(sensitivity)가 100 %이었으며 cysticercosis, hydatidosis환자혈청에서 양성반응이 나타났으며 교차반응도 있었다. 3. EITB에서는 spargancsis환자의 IgG항체에 의해 16개의 항원성분이 인지되었으며 이 중 6개의 항원성분이 정상인의 혈청에서도 인지되어 교차반응을 일으키는 항원성분이었으며 cysticercosis환자혈청에서 인지된 4개의 항원성분 중 2개의 항원성분이 sparganosis 환자혈청에서 인지된 것과 같았으며 hydatidosis환자의 190항체에 의해 인지된 19개의 항원성분 중 12개의 항원성분이 sparganosis환자혈청에서 인지된 항원 성분과 같았다. 4. 290 Kd, 200 Kd, 28 Kd의 항원성분은 sparganosis환자의 196항체에서만 인지되었고 228 Kd, 152 Kd, 66 Kd항원성분은 hydatidosis환자의 19G항체에서만 인지되었으며 66 Kd항원성분은 sparganosis, cysticercosis, hydatidosis, 정상인의 혈청에서 모두 인지되었다. We studied the serological reaction between the specific and nonspecific antigenic components from metacestode (plerocercoid) of spiromeko erimacei and IgG antibodies in sparganosis, cysticercosis. hydatidosis patients and normal human sera by ELISA and EITB. We prepared the crude extracts of sparganlim from snake, Matrix tigrina laterolis and used as antigenic components. By SDS-PAGE, we detected a total 25 peptide bands (fractions) with 290 Kd to 23 Kd molecular weight, and 8 bands of these detected bands developed strongly by silver stain. In serological test, ELISA, we recognized the cross-reaction of antigenic components reacting with IgG antibodies in heterogenous sera, cysticercosis and hydatidosis patients sera. The crude antigenic components of sparganum showed the high sensitivity in sparganosis, hydatidosis patients sera, but showed lower sensitivity in cysticercosis patients sera than the sparasanosis, hydatidosis patients sera. Sixteen antigenic components of these 25 separated bands were recognized by antibodies In sparsanosis patients sera,8 antigenic components in normal human sera, 4 antigenic components in cysticercosis patients sera and 19 antigenic compoenents in hydatidosis patients sera. The crude antigenic compnenets with 290 Kd, 200 Kd, 125 Kd and 28 Kd molecular weight was only recognized in sparganosis patients sera, but 64 Kd antigenic component was nonspecific antigenic components which were also cross-reacted with sparganosis, hydatidosis, cysticercosis patients sera and normal human sera.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.635-638
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• 2021

In this study, we intended to describe a human case of lumbosacral canal sparganosis in People's Republic of China (China). A 56-year-old man was admitted to Xiangya Hospital Central South University in Changsha, Hunan province, China after having an experience of perianal pain for a week. An enhancing mass, a tumor clinically suggested, was showed at the S1-S2 level of the lumbosacral spine by the examination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium contrast. The patient was received the laminectomy from S1 to S2, and an ivory-white living worm was detected in inferior margin of L5. In ELISA-test with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples, anti-sparganum antibodies were detected. He had a ingesting history of undercooked frog meat in his youth. By the present study, a human case of spinal sparganosis invaded in lumbosacral canal at the S1-S2 level was diagnosed in China. Although the surgical removal of larvae is known to be the best way of treatment for sparganosis, we administered the high-dosage of praziquantel, albendazole and dexamethasone to prevent the occurrence of another remain worms in this study.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.513-516
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• 2019

Human sparganosis is a food-borne zoonosis mainly caused by the plerocercoid belonging to the genus Spirometra. The most common clinical sign of sparganosis is a subcutaneous mass in the trunk including abdominal or chest wall. The mass may be mistaken for a malignant tumor, thereby causing difficulty in terms of diagnosis and treatment. A 66-year-old woman visited our clinic for the removal of a lipoma-like mass. It was movable, hard, and painless. we identified 2 white mass, measuring $0.2{\times}4cm$ and $0.2{\times}1cm$. Pathologic finding indicated the white mass was a sparganum. She recalled having eaten a raw frog approximately 60 years before. A 35-year-old who lived North Korea was also presented to our clinic with an asymptomatic nodule on her abdomen. Intraoperatively, we found sparganum approximately 24 cm size. Subcutaneous masses are associated with clinical signs of inflammation or they may mimic a soft tissue neoplasm. While the incidence rate of sparganosis has decreased with economic development and advancements in sanitation, surgeons still encounter patients with sparganosis in the clinical setting. Therefore, a careful history is required in order to diagnose sparganosis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.295-300
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• 2018

Human sparganosis was diagnosed by morphological and genetic analyses in Korea. The complete mitochondrial genomes of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens isolated in Korea have been recorded. Present study was performed to provide information to diagnose the etiologic agent of sparganosis by multiplex PCR using mitochondrial genome sequences of S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens. In an effort to examine the differential diagnosis of spirometrid tapeworms, multiplex PCR assays were performed on plerocercoid larvae of S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens. The PCR products obtained using species-specific primers were positively detected in all PCR assays on mixture of S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens DNA. S. erinaceieuropaei-specific bands (239 bp and 401 bp) were obtained from all PCR assays using a mixture of S. erinaceieuropaei-specific primers (Se/Sd-1800F and Se-2018R; Se/Sd-7955F and Se-8356R) and S. erinaceieuropaei template DNA. S. decipiens-specific bands (540 bp and 644 bp) were also detected in all PCR assays containing mixtures of S. decipiens-specific primers (Se/Sd-1800F and Sd-2317R; Se/Sd-7955F and Sd-8567R) and S. decipiens template DNA. Sequence analyses on these species-specific bands revealed 100% sequence identity with homologous regions of the mtDNA sequences of S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens. The multiplex PCR assay was useful for differential diagnosis of human sparganosis by detecting different sizes in species-specific bands.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.177-180
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• 2002

Gangweon-do is known to be highly endemic area of sparganosis more than other provinces in Korea. A seroepidmiologic examination for the detection of anti-Spirometra erinacei plerocercoid IgG in serum was carried out in normal inhabitants in Hongcheon-gun, Gangweon-do. Sere were tested by enzyme-linked immunosrobent assay (ELISA) for the anti-sparganum antibodies. Positive rate for anti-sparganum antibody in 719 adults was 3.3%. Data of the questionnaire for 24 ELISA positive inhabitants revealed that 20 had a history of eating raw meat of snakes, 24 had a history of eating frogs, and 24 had a history of drinking stream water. Two positive cases had a past history of sparganosis. Two positive cases showed current symptoms of sparganosis. The data revealed that ELISA would be useful to find infected cases among normal inhabitants at sparganosis-endemic areas.

• Journal of Clinical Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.307-310
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• 2018

Sparganum is the larvae of a parasite called Spirometra. It usually lives in snakes or frogs, which are parasitic on the human who consume them raw. Sparganum is presented with a form of mobile subcutaneous nodule in various parts of human body. A 78 years old man with palpable neck mass visited our clinics. He had a history of eating snakes raw about 50 years ago. He was diagnosed with Sparganosis through a fine needle aspiration biopsy and underwent excisional biopsy. Sparganosis should be considered when dealing subcutaneous palpable neck mass with history of consuming raw snakes or frogs.