Frequent detection of worm movements in onchocercal nodules by ultrasonography

Sabine Mand¹, Yeboah Marfo-Debrekyei², Alex Debrah², Marcelle Buettner³, Linda Batsa², Kenneth Pfarr¹, Ohene Adjei⁴ and Achim Hoerauf¹

¹Department of Parasitology, Institute of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Bonn University, Bonn, Germany

²Department of Parasitology, Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana

³Department of Helminthology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine³, Hamburg, Germany

⁴Department of Microbiology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Kumasi, Ghana

Filaria Journal 2005, 4:1doi:10.1186/1475-2883-4-1


Published:	23 March 2005

Additional files

Additional File 1:

Transverse scan of the patient's right iliac crest. A large onchocercoma with a small cystic area (echo-free – black – zone) can be seen. Within this cystic area movements of the adult filaria(e) are visible. Fragments of the worm body can be seen as a double layer membrane. The corresponding image can be seen as figure 2B.

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Additional File 2:

Longitudinal scan of the patient's right trochanter. A homogenous medium sized onchocercoma can be seen. Although there is no cystic – echo-free area, worm movements are presented in the b-mode image (arrow). Lateral shadows and a back wall reflection are visible. The corresponding image can be seen as figure 3A.

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Additional File 3:

Transverse scan of the patient's left knee. A large cystic onchocercoma can be seen. Movements of a conglomerate of coiled adult filariae are displayed in the cystic fluid of the nodule. Static fragments of the worms are visible in the lower left part of the video image. The corresponding image can be seen as figure 4A.

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