Skin nontumor
Infestations
Tunga penetrans
Last author update: 1 July 2011
Last staff update: 17 November 2020
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PubMed Search: Tunga penetrans
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Clinical features | Microscopic (histologic) description | Additional referencesCite this page: Hamodat M. Tunga penetrans. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/skinnontumortunga.html. Accessed March 24th, 2023.
Definition / general
- Sand flea that burrows into human skin and skin of mammals, causing the disease tungiasis
- Parasite is common in tropical locations (South America, Caribbean, Africa, Pakistan, west coast of India)
- Single flea bite causes local discomfort
- Multiple bites cause debilitation and secondary infections (tetanus, gas gangrene)
Clinical features
- Nodular lesion
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Skin biopsies show exoskeleton, hypodermal layer, trachea, digestive tract and developing eggs
- Striated muscle in 47%, posterior end in 43%
- Head usually absent
- The dermis contains mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate of lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils
Additional references
