
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Oesophagostomum historical perspective
Introduction
Historical Perspective
Historical Perspective
The first case of infection by Oesophagostomum spp. was reported in 1905 by Railliet and Henry, describing parasites found in the tumors of the caecum and colon of a male hailing from the Omo river in Southern Ethiopia.[1] In 1910, H. Wolferstan Thomas reported the second known case, describing the macroscopical and microscopical pathology of Oesophagostomum stephanostomum. His descriptions were based on his observations regarding the post mortem of an infected Brazilian man who died from extreme dysentery.[2] In subsequent decades, several more cases of Oesophagostomum spp. infection in humans were found in Brazil, Indonesia, Canada, and several areas of Africa, particularly Northern Ghana, Nigeria and Brazil. Of all reported Oesophagostomum human infections, only O. aculeatum, O. bifurcum and O. stephanostomum have been identified with certainty. The prominent, single-nodule form of oesophagostomiasis is often referred to as Dapaong tumor named after a city in northern Togo. Within the villages of Togo, villagers often refer to it as ‘Kounkoul’, which means ‘turtle’ in the native Moba-language; the name aptly describes the hard, round mass in the patient’s abdomen.[3]
References
References
- ↑ Polderman, A M et al. “Oesophagostomiasis, a common infection of man in northern Togo and Ghana.” The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 44.3 (1991): 336-44.
- ↑ Thomas, H.W. (1910). The pathological report of a case of oesophagostomiasis in man. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology. 4: 57-88.
- ↑ Polderman, A. M., and J. Blotkamp. “Oesophagostomum infections in humans.” Parasitology Today 11.12 (1995): 451-456.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
