Unusual presentation of filariasis as an abscess: A case report

Bancroftian filariasis, a tropical and subtropical disease caused by Wuchereria bancrofti, is transmitted by the culex mosquito. The disease is conventionally diagnosed by the demonstration of microfilaria in peripheral blood smear. Microfilaria and adult filarial worms have been incidentally detected in fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in various locations. The disease may be missed if one is not aware of the possibility, particularly in cases where eosinophilia is absent. Therefore, clinicians and pathologists need to be more vigilant in the endemic zones for early diagnosis and the treatment of filariasis. We report here an unusual case of filariasis in a 17-year-old female with a swelling in the lower part of the left arm on the flexor surface. This highlights the chances of finding microfilaria in cytology of an unsuspected case at an unusual site. This case, in addition, stresses the fact that microfilaria may be associated with an abscess even in the absence of eosinophilia.