Abstract
We report the first case of Dirofilaria repens in a 4-year-old male patient in Switzerland. The disease is a vector-borne parasitic
infection that is not endemic to Switzerland. A 4-year-old male presented with a tender
mass in the left groin. The patient was taken to the operating room for surgical exploration
to rule out a pathology that could be harmful to the spermatic cord. A node was found
along the spermatic cord and excised. Histopathology and microbiology studies revealed
the diagnosis of Dirofilaria repens.
Even though Switzerland is not endemic to Dirofilaria repens, the diagnosis of a parasitic infection should be considered in patients presenting
with subcutaneous nodules in correlation with a travel history to endemic areas. The
treatment consists of complete excision of the affected tissue.
Keywords
Dirofilaria -
D. repens
- spermatic cord - testis - scrotum
