Next Article in Journal
The Factors Influencing the Incidence, Persistence, and Severity of Symptoms After SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Chinese Adults: A Case–Control Study
Previous Article in Journal
Impact of Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis in Spain from 1997 to 2022
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
TropicalMed
Volume 10
Issue 7
10.3390/tropicalmed10070184
tropicalmed-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Case Report

Dirofilaria repens in the Spermatic Cord of a 5-Year-Old Boy: A Rare Pediatric Case in Italy

by
Alessandro Franzò
1,
Andrea Marino
1,*,
Benedetto Maurizio Celesia
1,
Roberto Bruno
1,
Pieralba Catalano
2,
Sebastiano Cacciaguerra
2,
Stefano Reale
3,
Bruno Santi Cacopardo
1 and
Giuseppe Nunnari
1
1
Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, University of Catania, 95122 Catania, Italy
2
Department of Pediatric Surgery, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, 95122 Catania, Italy
3
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, 90129 Palermo, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2025, 10(7), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed10070184
Submission received: 26 May 2025 / Revised: 24 June 2025 / Accepted: 27 June 2025 / Published: 29 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Vector-Borne Diseases)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

We report the case of a 5-year-old boy from a Sri Lankan migrant family in Catania, Italy, diagnosed with a Dirofilaria repens infection in the spermatic cord. The child presented with pain and swelling in the left inguinal area. Initial evaluation suggested orchiepididymitis, which was treated unsuccessfully with amoxicillin/clavulanate and NSAIDs. As symptoms worsened, torsion of the Morgagni hydatid was considered. An exploratory surgery revealed a firm mass in the left spermatic cord. Histopathological examination of the excised lesion showed fragments of a helminth within a granulomatous inflammatory reaction. Subsequent PCR analysis detected D. repens DNA. The patient fully recovered after surgical excision of the mass. Given the increasing incidence of human dirofilariasis, D. repens should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained subcutaneous or inguinal nodules, especially in patients with a relevant travel history. This case highlights the importance of accurate diagnosis to avoid unnecessary invasive procedures or prolonged antimicrobial therapies. It represents one of the youngest pediatric cases with genital involvement reported in Italy, a country that accounts for half of the cases in Europe.
Keywords: dirofilariosis; pediatric helminthiasis; vector-borne diseases; zoonotic diseases; pediatric zoonotic diseases dirofilariosis; pediatric helminthiasis; vector-borne diseases; zoonotic diseases; pediatric zoonotic diseases

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Franzò, A.; Marino, A.; Celesia, B.M.; Bruno, R.; Catalano, P.; Cacciaguerra, S.; Reale, S.; Cacopardo, B.S.; Nunnari, G. Dirofilaria repens in the Spermatic Cord of a 5-Year-Old Boy: A Rare Pediatric Case in Italy. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2025, 10, 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed10070184

AMA Style

Franzò A, Marino A, Celesia BM, Bruno R, Catalano P, Cacciaguerra S, Reale S, Cacopardo BS, Nunnari G. Dirofilaria repens in the Spermatic Cord of a 5-Year-Old Boy: A Rare Pediatric Case in Italy. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2025; 10(7):184. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed10070184

Chicago/Turabian Style

Franzò, Alessandro, Andrea Marino, Benedetto Maurizio Celesia, Roberto Bruno, Pieralba Catalano, Sebastiano Cacciaguerra, Stefano Reale, Bruno Santi Cacopardo, and Giuseppe Nunnari. 2025. "Dirofilaria repens in the Spermatic Cord of a 5-Year-Old Boy: A Rare Pediatric Case in Italy" Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 10, no. 7: 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed10070184

APA Style

Franzò, A., Marino, A., Celesia, B. M., Bruno, R., Catalano, P., Cacciaguerra, S., Reale, S., Cacopardo, B. S., & Nunnari, G. (2025). Dirofilaria repens in the Spermatic Cord of a 5-Year-Old Boy: A Rare Pediatric Case in Italy. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 10(7), 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed10070184

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop