Weekend Digest
Giemsa stain of blood smear of a 50M who returned to the US after a 10-year missionary work in Mali and Senegal. He presented with episodic angioedema and eosinophilia.
Name the pathogen, its treatment and complication of Rx.
Giemsa stain of blood smear of a 50M who returned to the US after a 10-year missionary work in Mali and Senegal. He presented with episodic angioedema and eosinophilia.
Name the pathogen, its treatment and complication of Rx.
2/
#Loa loa
Bite of chrysops deer fly
Larva migrates in tissues; matures into adult worm in 5 months, and live for 20 years.
Adults produce microfilaria that gets into lymphatics / blood —> tissues. Microfilaria does not mature into adult but lives for a year.
#Loa loa
Bite of chrysops deer fly
Larva migrates in tissues; matures into adult worm in 5 months, and live for 20 years.
Adults produce microfilaria that gets into lymphatics / blood —> tissues. Microfilaria does not mature into adult but lives for a year.
3/
#Loa loa migrates in tissues
Most infected people ASYMPTOMATIC
1. Calabar swelling - transient localized, non-tender swellings usually on arms and legs and near joints
2. Eye worm - visible movement of adult worm across the surface of eye
3. Eosinophilia and pruritus
#Loa loa migrates in tissues
Most infected people ASYMPTOMATIC
1. Calabar swelling - transient localized, non-tender swellings usually on arms and legs and near joints
2. Eye worm - visible movement of adult worm across the surface of eye
3. Eosinophilia and pruritus
4/
#Loa loa Rx
1. Diethylcarbamazine drug of choice
2. Albendazole alternative
Caution: encephalopathy may occur when DEC used w/ high level microfilaria
- Quantitative blood smear prior to Rx.
- Apheresis or Albendazole may be used to reduce microfilaria load prior to DEC
#Loa loa Rx
1. Diethylcarbamazine drug of choice
2. Albendazole alternative
Caution: encephalopathy may occur when DEC used w/ high level microfilaria
- Quantitative blood smear prior to Rx.
- Apheresis or Albendazole may be used to reduce microfilaria load prior to DEC
/5
#Loa loa #Pearls
1. #Loaiasis. African #eyeworm
2. Chrysops fly; West/Central Africa
3. Calabar swelling; eye migration
4. Dx: blood smear - microfilariae (daytime 10am-2pm)
5. Rx: DEC (AE: encephalitis if high microfilaria burden)
cdc.gov/parasites/loia…
#Loa loa #Pearls
1. #Loaiasis. African #eyeworm
2. Chrysops fly; West/Central Africa
3. Calabar swelling; eye migration
4. Dx: blood smear - microfilariae (daytime 10am-2pm)
5. Rx: DEC (AE: encephalitis if high microfilaria burden)
cdc.gov/parasites/loia…
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