Doctors find 'this' in skin of woman in her 40s... squirming in her ear, neck and back [Health Talk]

Financial News reported a case in which a woman in her 40s developed fine, linear rashes on her skin and was ultimately diagnosed with cutaneous larva migrans.
According to dermatologists at Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College in India, a 40-year-old woman visited the hospital after suffering from skin rashes and itching for a month. The lesion started on her ear, then migrated down her neck and shoulders to her back. Over time, it became a long, winding, snake-like line.
The woman said she had initially been diagnosed with urticarial dermatitis, but her condition did not improve. A subsequent dermatoscopic examination revealed serpiginous red lines that appeared to be tracks left by larvae moving under the skin. Because the rash kept changing location, and because she had recently walked barefoot in a pond, the medical team diagnosed cutaneous larva migrans.
The doctors explained that cutaneous larva migrans is a parasitic disease caused when hookworm larvae penetrate the skin. Eggs from hookworms, which usually live in the small intestines of dogs and cats, are excreted in feces, hatch into larvae in soil or sand, and then invade human skin, triggering the condition.
The woman was treated with oral albendazole and ivermectin. Her itching resolved, and the skin lesions gradually subsided. Follow-up examinations showed complete recovery without scarring or recurrence, and no additional symptoms appeared.
“Cutaneous larva migrans usually occurs on the feet or lower legs,” the medical team noted. “However, when it affects areas such as the ear or upper body, as in this case, it is very rare and diagnosis may be delayed,” they said. They added, “If the condition is diagnosed early and appropriate antiparasitic treatment is given, symptoms improve quickly.”
The case was recently published in the journal Cureus.
hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter