On the finding of Taenia saginata in a geriatric patient

摘要

In a letter to the Editor, Kalkan et al. describe how a 177-cm long tapeworm parasite was removed perorally from the stomach of an 80-year-old woman by means of endoscopy. Based on its morphology, the tapeworm was diagnosed as Taenia saginata. The authors indicate that the source of infection was the ingestion of raw or undercooked beef infected with the tapeworm larvae, namely Cysticercus bovis. Concerning the symptomatology of T. saginata carriers, Kalkan et al. cite two bibliographic references, a book on Parasitology and an article on Taenia saginata asiatica. Humans are definitive hosts of three species of the Taenia genus; that is, Taenia solium (the pork tapeworm), T. saginata (the beef tapeworm) and T. asiatica (syn T. saginata asiatica)? From a morphological point of view, it is practically impossible to distinguish T. asiatica from T. saginata. Currently, the only method to differentiate both species is by means of molecular analysis.4 Therefore, based on the diagnostic method used in this case, the tapeworm removed could indeed be either T. saginata or T. asiatica. Although the symptomatology of the carriers of both species might be similar, the source of infection is absolutely different, as humans have to eat raw or undercooked pork to become infected with T. asiatica instead of eating beef, as in the case of T. saginata infection. Without the performance of molecular techniques, only in the case where the patient does not eat pork would it be possible to assess that the species involved is T. saginata.