Sparganosis of liver: a rare entity and review of literature.

Humans are known to serve as the secondary intermediate host for some larval forms of canine or feline tapeworms. Sparganosis is caused by plerocercoid larva of Spirometra of which there are three main species; Spirometra mansoni (or Spirometra erinaceieuropaei), Spirometra mansonoides and Spirometra proliferum. A one-and-half-year-old patient presenting with febrile illness was diagnosed radiologically as a case of liver abscess. The aspirate from the abscess cavity had a thin thread-like worm which was identified as a larval stage of Pseudophyllidea that was further confirmed as belonging to genus Spirometra. Aspiration of the worm and antiparasitic therapy with metronidazole led to complete recovery. Reports of sparganosis from Indian subcontinent are scanty and these cases had involvement of brain, kidney and eye. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of hepatic sparganosis from India.