Ghosts of Guinea Worms: A Rare Case of Extensive Calcified Guinea Worms

Authors

  • Sanket Vinubhai Davra
  • Kumar Pushkar

Keywords:

Dracunculiasis, dystrophic calcification, serpiginous calcifications

Abstract

Dracunculiasis, or Guinea worm disease, is a parasitic infection caused by Dracunculus medinensis. Although eradicated in India since 2000, residual calcified worms can persist asymptomatically in affected individuals. We present a rare case of a 45-year-old male washerman from Rajasthan, India, with extensive calcified guinea worms detected incidentally during radiographic evaluation for leg pain. This case underscores the importance of recognizing characteristic radiographic features of calcified D. medinensis and highlights the enduring legacy of a once-prevalent disease.

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References

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Carranza-Rodríguez C, Pérez-Arellano JL. Radiological Detection of Dracunculus Medinensis. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018;98(5):1218-1219. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.17-0944

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Barry SK, Schucany WG. Dracunculiasis of the breast: radiological manifestations of a rare disease. J Radiol Case Rep. 2012 Nov;6(11):29-33. doi: 10.3941/jrcr.v6i11.1137. Epub 2012 Nov 1. PMID: 23372866; PMCID: PMC3558262.

Carranza-Rodríguez C, Pérez-Arellano JL. Radiological Detection of Dracunculus Medinensis. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018;98(5):1218-1219. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.17-0944

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Published

2025-05-22

How to Cite

1.
Davra SV, Pushkar K. Ghosts of Guinea Worms: A Rare Case of Extensive Calcified Guinea Worms. J Neonatal Surg [Internet]. 2025May22 [cited 2025Oct.14];14(14S):897-9. Available from: https://mail.jneonatalsurg.com/index.php/jns/article/view/6320

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 14S (2025): Journal of Neonatal Surgery

Section

Original Article

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