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| ARTICLES |
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| Year : 1978 | Volume
: 26
| Issue : 3 | Page : 27-29 |
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Conjunctival cysticercosis
IS Roy, A Goswami, Rita Das, Alpana Basu
Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical College, Calcutta, India
Correspondence Address:
I S Roy
Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical College, Calcutta
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
PMID: 738778 
How to cite this article:
Roy I S, Goswami A, Das R, Basu A. Conjunctival cysticercosis. Indian J Ophthalmol 1978;26:27-9 |
The disease is caused by larval form of Taenia solium known as Cysticercosis cellulosae[4]. The worm Taenia solium is commonly known as pork tape worm. Man gets the adult worm in the intestine usually after taking pork flesh infested with larva of Taenia solium[6]. It is uncommon in Jews and Mohamedans who are not generally pork eaters[3]. In human cysticercosis the visual organ is very often affected along with the probable systemic involvement of other parts of the body. In the eye though the condition is commonly found inside the vitreous humour, the conjunctival affection is not so rare as it was thought to be.
From different parts of our country the incidence have been noticed and only few cases have been reported so far.
Angra et al[1], Chadha et al[2], Dayal et al[4] Desai et al[5], Patroria et a1[8], Reddy et a1[9], Sen[10] Singh et al[11] and Sood et al[12] reported cases of conjunctival cysticercosis.
The importance of documenting the present case lies with the fact that the condition is rather uncommon in occurrence particularly in India apart from its academic interest.
| Case Report | |  |
K.S., aged 17 years, Hindu vegetarian, female presented a painless swelling over the inner canthus of her right eye of eight weeks duration [Figure - 1]. The swelling was not tender and the ocular movements were normal though the swelling was very close to the medial rectus muscle. The overlying conjunctiva was normal. The fundus oculi was healthy. The left eye was absolutely normal.
The cystic mass was surgically excised in intact condition. There was practically no adhesions with the adjacent structures. It was whitish hemispherical cystic swelling measuring about 7 mm x 5 mm with a milk white spot [Figure - 2].
Histopathological examination of the cyst showed the dense milk white spot where the scolex with its hooks and suckers remained invaginated [Figure - 3][Figure - 4].
The girl was healthy on general examination without any history suggestive of intracranial involvement. Stool examination showed no segment or egg of Taenia.
| Discussion | | |
Cysticercosis has got global distribution, particularly in countries where there is increased incidence of pork eating.
The characteristic life cycle of T. solium is that after ingesting egg a definitive host does not develop the adult worm. Instead, life cycle follows from adult worm to egg, egg to larva, larva to adult worm[3]. So it is very often erroneously enquired whether the victim is a pork eater or not. The Cysticercus cellulosae infection may occur in man in either of the three ways[7]:
(1) From food, contaminated with egg of T. solium.
(2) Man harbouring the adult worm in intestine and during expulsion of segments if that is crushed the auto infection by faeco-oral transformation.
(3) Last but not the least due to intestinal auto infection by reverse peristalsis and peptic digestion of the egg may give rise to cysticercosis. So, without taking pork flesh a person may get cysticercosis by taking food contaminated with egg. The chances of mistake in clinical diagnosis amongst vegetarians can be prevented by keeping in mind the concept of infestation of larval form of T. solium. The final diagnosis ultimately depends on histopathological examination of the cyst after surgical exposure.
| Summary | | |
A case of conjunctival cysticercosis in a vegetarian Hindu girl has been presented. Here the patient acted as an intermediate host. In this case the infestation occured from contaminated food.
| References | | |
| 1. | Angra, S.K., Mohan, Madan, 1970, Orient Arch. Ophth., 8, 301.  |
| 2. | Chadha, A.C., 1962., Amer. J. Ophthal., 53, 529.
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| 3. | Chatterjee, K.D., 1975., Parasitology, 10th ed. 116, Calcutta. |
| 4. | Dayal, Y., Sood, N N., Goswamy, V. and Angra, .K., 1970., Orient Arch. Ophthal., 8, 212.
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| 5. | Desai, N.C., Sharma, G.K. and Chandak, G.K., 1972, Orient Arch, nphthal, 10, 39.
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| 6. | Duke-Elder, Sir Steward. 1965, System of Ophthalmology, Vol. 8, Part 1, P. 423, H. Kimpton, London |
| 7. | Gradwohl, R.B.H.. 1948, Clinical Laboratory Methods and Diagnosis, Vol. 3, P. 498. C.V. Mosby Co., St. Louis. |
| 8. | Patoria, N.K. and Junnarkar, R.V., 1966, Jour. Ail India Ophthal. Soc., 14, 227.
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| 9. | Reddy, D.J., Raghavchar, V., Saran, B.M. and Vasantha, V. C., 1964, four. Indian M.A., 43, 207.
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| 10. | Sen, D.K., 1968., Orient Arch. Ophthal., 6, 181. |
| 11. | Singh, Ishwar, Phoga., A.C., Chokan, B.S. and Malik, K.P.S. 1978, Jour. Indian M.A., 70,136.
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| 12. | Sood, N.N., Shukla, K.N., Lamba, P.A. and Madhaven, M., 1970., Orient Arch. Ophthal., 8, 201. |
[Figure - 1], [Figure - 2], [Figure - 3], [Figure - 4]
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