Dioctophyme renale is a roundworm found in dogs, minks and other mammals. It rarely may infect humans, usually affecting the kidneys or urinary tract.
Synonynm: giant kidney worm
Larvae encyst in fish and amphibians. A human may become infected after eating a raw or undercooked host.
Dioctophyme renale may present as:
(1) worms and/or eggs in the urine
(2) cutaneous larva migrans
(3) hyperdense, hemorrhagic renal cyst
(4) renal pseudotumor
(5) retroperitoneal pseudotumor
The eggs are yellowish brown and measure 70 x 45 microns. They show a birefringent double-wall (“rings”) and equally spaced radial striations.
