A Rare Case of Intra-Oral Dirofilariasis Manifesting on The Buccal Mucosa

Dirofilariasis is a rare zoonotic disease endemic in tropical and sub-tropic countries, including India. Caused by the nematode of the genus Dirofilaria, the disease usually affects canines which form the primary hosts. Humans rarely get infected through the bite of potential mosquito vectors. Manifestations in humans have been reported to affect the orbital region, and intra-oral involvement is rarely reported. Our case was a 5-year-old boy who presented with a slow-growing diffuse swelling on the buccal mucosa. Dirofilariasis was diagnosed when the excised specimen was subject for  histopathologic evaluation, yielding the identification of the Dirofilaria worm with the typical morphologic characteristics in the tissue sections. An extremely rare occurrence intra-orally, dirofilariasis can manifest as subcutaneous nodules. Pathologists have an important role  in the final diagnosis of the disease through  identifying the adult worm in the tissue sections of the biopsy specimen. Dental practitioners must be aware of such an entity as rarely this can be encountered in routine dental practice.