Migrating Bump on Woman's Face Turns Out to Be a Worm

A bump that was somehow 'migrating' underneath a woman's skin turned out to be a worm doctors said in a case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine

Doctors say the 32-year-old woman recently traveled to a rural area outside of Moscow, Russia where she began to noticed random bumps begin appearing on her face while she was taking selfies during a two-week period. 

At first, the woman says she noticed the bump underneath her left eye. A few days later, it had moved above it. Then, it began moving to her upper lip which began to significantly swell with the mysterious pressure. Doctors said the patient reported her bumps were itchy and caused a burning sensation. 

When she finally made it to a doctor to find out what was going on, they discovered the bumps were a parasitic worm. 

Doctors say they believe the 32-year-old may have picked it up from a mosquito bite. The parasite, known as "Dirofilaria repens," is a zoonotic filarial nematodeis often found in dogs and other carnivores, but is rarely transmitted to humans. 

The woman underwent surgery to remove the worm and has made a full recovery doctors say. 


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content