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Isolated intramuscular cysticercosis of the forearm masquerading as malignancy.

Archit GoelGargi KapatiaMohd Altaf MirManjit Kaur Rana
Published in: BMJ case reports (2024)
A woman in her mid-20s presented to an Indian tertiary care hospital with pain in her left forearm. Extensive initial investigations led to a suspected diagnosis of a peripheral nerve sheath tumour; however, the pathological investigation of the excised tumour mass revealed it to be a case of isolated intramuscular cysticercosis in the forearm. Treatment for cysticercosis was commenced and the patient made a full recovery. Isolated intramuscular cysticercosis without the involvement of other organs is a rare presentation and has only been reported in a handful of case reports. We suggest that isolated intramuscular cysticercosis be considered a differential diagnosis in patients with isolated pain in their muscles and with no other symptoms, in patients with a presentation of solitary swelling and in patients at risk of parasitic infection. In addition, we emphasise the importance of histopathological examination due to the varied presentation of cysts.
Keyphrases
  • case report
  • chronic pain
  • peripheral nerve
  • tertiary care
  • pain management
  • neuropathic pain
  • emergency department
  • physical activity
  • spinal cord
  • sleep quality