Human infection with Gongylonema pulchrum: a case report.

Abstract

A 43 year old woman developed a painful tumor at the left buccal mucosa. Following local anti-inflammatory treatment a 35 mm long, living female adult worm of Gongylonema pulchrum was extracted from the affected side. No further treatment was needed and recovery was complete 5 days after extraction. Infection had occurred possibly 6 weeks before in Hungary with ingestion of contaminated water from an open draw well. Although commonly occurring as parasitic infection of domestic cattle and other vertebrates, gongylonemiasis is very rare in humans. Only 48 cases have been described in the literature since 1864. Life cycle and pathology of G. pulchrum are discussed.