Paediatric Imaging

Dracunculiasis

infection by the guinea worm Dracunculus medinensis. The larvae are ingested with contaminated water, penetrate the intestinal wall and deposit in connective tissue. The worms mature in about one year and migrate to the subcutaneous tissue where an ulcer may develop. The worm, if retained in the tissues, may calcify and typically has a coiled appearance. The disease occurs in tropical Africa, India, the Far East and north South America. Calcification is mainly seen in the legs. See dracunculiasis

HC