Pediatric Emergency Care and Medicine: Open Access

Pediatric Detection of Cutaneous Larva Migrans on Point of Care Ultrasound

Larva migrans is a cutaneous parasitic infection that occurs when an immature hookworm larva inadvertently penetrates the dermis of a human, typically on the extremities. Traditionally, this diagnosis is made clinically when a tortuous/serpiginous eruption is seen superficially in the skin with complaints of intense pruritus. Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is a diagnostic tool useful in soft tissue complaints in the Emergency Department (ED). We present a case of an 18 years old female who presented to the ED with foot pruritis four days after walking on the beach barefoot. POCUS revealed several motile structures in the dermis of the patient’s foot, further confirming our suspicion of cutaneous larva migrans. The patient was then placed on an oral anthelmintic and her symptoms resolved shortly after.

Author(s): Dr. Daniella Lamour*

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