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Solitary lung nodule due to dirofilaria immitis (dog “heartworm”)
Author(s) -
Darrow John C.,
Lack Ernest E.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.2930160304
Subject(s) - dirofilaria immitis , dirofilariasis , zoonosis , medicine , thoracotomy , pathology , nodule (geology) , lung , solitary pulmonary nodule , helminths , anatomy , biology , veterinary medicine , immunology , paleontology
The filarial parasite Dirofilaria immitis (dog “heartworm”) is the cause of a progressive zoonosis among canine species in the United States; it is rarely transmitted to man, in whom it can present as a solitary lung nodule. There are currently no reliable clinical or radiologic features to distinguish it from other solitary necrotizing granulomas, and thoracotomy is currently the only means of establishing the diagnosis. D. immitis can be identified and properly classified by routine light microscopy despite being immature and partially necrotic. Canine Dirofilariasis may well assume even greater medical importance because of its expanding geographic range and the concomitant increase in the number of cases observed among humans.