Diphyllobothriasis latum: the first child case report in Taiwan

Diphyllobothriasis latum is an intestinal parasitosis caused by the ingestion of mostly raw fresh-water fish containing plerocercoids of Diphyllobothrium latum. We report an 8-year-old boy who came to our hospital with the complaint of a tapeworm hanging from the anus after defecation. The other symptom was mild abdominal cramping for a period of 1 year. The laboratory examination did not reveal anemia or vitamin B12 deficiency. Examination of gravid proglottids with rosette-like central uterus and typically operculated eggs of D. latum confirmed the diagnosis. The morphologic characters of proglottids and eggs size are compatible with D. latum. The patient had a history of eating uncooked fish for 1 year. Salmonids may be the infection source. He was treated with two doses of praziquantel and passed about 183 cm in length of all proglottids. There is a high prevalence of diphyllobothriasis latum in the northern temperate areas, but it is very rare in children. This patient is the first child case reported in Taiwan.