Subcutaneous and musculoskeletal sparganosis: imaging characteristics and pathologic correlation

Objective. To document the imaging characteristics of subcutaneous and musculoskeletal sparganosis. Design and patients. Ten patients with musculoskeletal sparganosis were examined, with a variety of imaging modalities including MRI (n=6), ultrasonography (n=8), plain radiography (n=7) and CT (n=1). Pathologic correlation was carried out in all cases. Results. Nine lesions involved soft tissues, of which seven were in the thigh, two in the trunk and one involved a vertebral body. The majority of the lesions in soft tissue were confined to the subcutaneous layer but two extended deep into underlying muscles. Sonography revealed low-echoic serpiginous tubular tracts (8/8), and an intraluminal echogenic structure (4/8). MRI revealed multiple serpiginous tubular tracts and peripheral rim enhancement. Two patients showed perilesional soft tissue edema. Pathologically, the lesion consisted of a larva surrounded by three layers of inflammation: an inner epithelioid granulomatous cell layer, middle chronic inflammatory cell layers, and an outer fibrous layer. Conclusion. The study suggests that if serpiginous tubular tracts are seen at imaging studies, musculoskeletal sparganosis should be included in the differential diagnosis. Received: 27 July 1999 Revision requested: 20 September 1999 Revision received: 11 February 2000 Accepted: 14 March 2000