| CASE REPORT |
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| Year : 2018 | Volume
: 4
| Issue : 2 | Page : 173-177 |
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Delayed diagnosis of paragonimiasis in Southeast Asian immigrants: A need for global awareness
Sarah Eapen1, Eric Espinal2, Michael S Firstenberg2
1 Department of Surgery, Summa Health, Akron, Ohio, USA
2 Cardiothoracic Surgery, Akron City Hospital, Akron, Ohio, USA
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Michael S Firstenberg
Summa Health Medical Group, Cardiothoracic Surgery Specialists, 75 Arch Street, Suite 407, Akron, OH 44304
USA
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/IJAM.IJAM_2_18
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Paragonimiasis is a food-borne parasitic infection that commonly affects humans after ingestion of raw or undercooked crustaceans. The disease is caused by lung flukes of the genus Paragonimus, which is endemic to Southeast Asia. In this report, we describe two cases of paragonimiasis diagnosed in North American immigrants from Southeast Asia. The first patient presented with a 5-year history of hemoptysis. The second presented with a 3-week history of productive cough. Both patients were initially treated with antibiotics for presumed pneumonia. The inciting pathogen was not identified by blood, sputum, or stool analyses. Ultimately, surgical resection was required, leading to the diagnosis of paragonimiasis. In the United States and other nonendemic areas, the diagnosis of paragonimiasis is often delayed due to its rarity. Increased awareness and inclusion in differential diagnoses, especially in patients originating from endemic areas, may prevent diagnostic delay and associated morbidity.
The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Practice-based learning and improvement, Medical knowledge, and Patient care.
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