Three cases of human gnathostomiasis caused by Gnathostoma hispidum, with particular reference to the identification of parasitic larvae.

Human gnathostomiasis is well known to be caused by Gnathostoma spinigerum, G. hispidum, G. doloresi and G. nipponicum in Japan. In the present reported cases, skin biopsies were performed on three Japanese patients. As a result, cross sections of the larvae were clearly observed in the biopsied specimens. All cross sectioned larvae had an intestinal canal, which consisted from 25-35 cells. A large nucleus was observed at the center of each intestinal cell. The morphological features completely correlated with the characteristics of larval G. hispidum. Based on these findings, all three human cases were thus determined to be confirmed cases of gnathostomiasis caused by G. hispidum.