[Human pentastomiasis in Abidjan. A report on 29 cases].

Abstract

The authors report 29 cases of human pentastomida detected radiologically in the medical thoracic service over 10 years and a fatal case occurring in the paediatric clinic. After a parasitological review of the life cycle and localisation of the pentastomida in man, the epidemiology clinical picture and typical radiological appearance of thoracic and abdominal calcification are discussed. They are always detected by chance and it is the case history which establishes the link between the eating of poorly cooked snakes or their handling. Finally a case is mentioned (which is currently unique in the literature) of a massive fatal septicaemia in a five years old child caused by Armillifer grandis, which poses the problem of the diagnostic difficulty in current clinical practice of this infestation. Since 1973 the disorder can be diagnosed immunologically thanks to the Marseilles school, but it is difficult to achieve in practice. It would only allow an estimation of the frequency of this infestation and to define the clinical features possible.