Human infection with Gongylonema pulchrum

A 43 year old woman developed a painful tumor at the left buccal
mucosa. Following local anti-inflammatory treatment a 35 mm long,
living female adult worm of Gongylonema pulchrum was extracted from
the affected side. No further treatment was needed and recovery was
complete 5 days after extraction. Infection had occurred possibly 6
weeks before in Hungary with ingestion of contaminated water from
an open draw well. Although commonly occurring as parasitic
infection of domestic cattle and other vertebrates, gongylonemiasis
is very rare in humans. Only 48 cases have been described in the
literature since 1864. Life cycle and pathology of G. pulchrum are
discussed.